


I'm So Curious.

by sarajinki



Category: SHINee
Genre: Angst, Blind Date, Falling In Love, Jjong curses a lot and is a lil crude XD, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:35:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarajinki/pseuds/sarajinki
Summary: Jjong is a college student with tight money, but manages to get into a prestigious uni where he becomes friends with Taemin. One day, Tae asks him to go out on a blind date with his cousin Jinki, a notable lawyer who still hesitates about dating someone. Jjong refuses, but the amount of money Tae offers is a sight he can’t ignore. Jinki adores him immediately and after several dates, Jonghyun falls in love with Jinki, but he doesn’t know how to tell Jinki about his agreement with Tae.
Relationships: Kim Jonghyun/Lee Jinki | Onew
Comments: 32
Kudos: 36





	1. To a beautiful evening.

**Author's Note:**

> Story written for Jjong's month (check out the challenge at rollercoasterwrite.tumblr.com) and my lovely Dee. ♥️♥️♥️
> 
> For the ones I wrote last year, check out my Jjong's month collection on the blog above or on my AFF page (sarajinki).
> 
> Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think ^^

"What's your type?''  
  
The blonde cocked an eyebrow.  
  
''What has that got to do with anything?''  
  
The brunette shrugged.  
  
''Just wondering...'' He said, giving his straw another mindless chew before going on. ''I've just never seen you show interest in anyone.''  
  
The other frowned, confused.

''Again, why did that pop up in your mind just now?''  
  
''Jeez, can't I just ask a question?'' the younger one retorted, frustration now edging his tone.  
  
'' I know you, Tae,'' the blonde immediately clapped back. ''You never just ask a question.''  
  
His statement had the other snorting in indignation.

''Is that really what you think of me, Jjong?''  
  
''Yes,'' the blonde squarely replied before taking another sip of his iced coffee.  
  
He watched as his friend settled into grumpy mode with a scoff and a determined cross of the arms. He couldn't help but puff out laughing at the childish display.  
  
''I know you'll eventually spill it…'' Jonghyun taunted, lopsided smile dancing on his lips.  
  
''I hate you,'' Taemin spat with spite that only manifested when he didn't get his way.  
  
''Good luck with that,'' Jonghyun replied with a chuckle.  
  
A sense of victory swelled in his chest as he watched his friend struggle to come up with a comeback. The silence gave him some time to look around the nearly empty café they regularly visited to get some school work done or chat. He could never stop himself from taking in the peaceful setting, even though he’d probably seen it a million times now. With its white-framed casement windows that let the natural light in, its bare white walls opening up the space, the various-sized potted plants adding life and color around them, and the rustic furniture that contrasted so perfectly against all the light, it just felt to him like his little corner of paradise. It was even more beautiful now that the setting sun bathed the space with dancing lights of pink and orange. If the moment wasn't already perfect, the warm and full aroma of fresh coffee filling up the space left not even a modicum of place for discontent. Jonghyun felt good, and not even the sight of his friend's disgruntled expression was going to change that.  
  
''Can I order us another round of coffee or are you just going to storm out like a little bitch and leave me hanging?'' he half-asked, half-baited.  
  
Taemin's gaze narrowed at the jab. Jaw tense, he replied, ''Call me a little bitch one more time and that coffee will end up in your face.''  
  
'' I'll take that as a yes for the coffee then, '' Jonghyun concluded, not at all fazed by the other's threat.

He knew of his friend's evil ways, but for some reason, the latter seemed to know there was no point trying anything with him.  
  
As soon as they received their refill of iced coffee, the younger one seemed to relax and, soon enough, he was back on topic.  
  
''Jjongie...'' he cooed, shifting into his characteristic charmer mode.  
  
''No.''  
  
Jonghyun didn't need to hear the rest. He already knew he wasn't going to like it.  
  
''You don't even know what I was going to say," Taemin whined with pouting lips.  
  
''Right, but I already know my answer.''  
  
''What if I was just going to ask for a ride home?'' the fluffy-haired brunette argued.  
  
''But you weren’t, so cut the crap,'' Jonghyun bluntly dismissed.  
  
He caught the glare that his friend shot him before he took in more caffeine.

The younger one's frustration soon turned into a desperate sigh, signalling he was about to crack open.  
  
''Look, I need a favor,'' he finally revealed.  
  
''Ask Kibum,'' Jonghyun indicated.  
  
The younger one scrunched up his nose in disgust.

''Ew, no. Just imagining them...''  
  
The retching gesture that followed wasn't enough to distract the blonde from what he had just caught in the other's unintentional admission.  
  
'' _Them?_ '' he echoed, confused. ''Who is the other person?''  
  
Taemin froze at that, the only movement perceptible being that of his furious blinking.

''Tae??'' Jonghyun called out as confusion and nervousness simultaneously grew inside him.  
  
''Yeah, um...'' the brunette cleared his throat. ''The other person's my cousin,'' he finally said.  
  
Jonghyun frowned deeply.

''What's your cousin got to do with anything? ''  
  
''He has to do with the favor I need from you,'' Taemin outlined before deflecting his attention to his chewed-up straw.  
  
''The fuck?'' the older one exclaimed as he stared incredulously at his friend.  
  
It was a few more seconds before the other stopped his balancing act of chewing on plastic and drinking.  
  
''You know my cousin, Jinki, that I sometimes talk about?'' Taemin started.  
  
''You mean, that you _always_ talk about, '' Jonghyun rectified, not without an edge of annoyance to his tone.  
  
''That is not true,'' the other instantly countered.  
  
''Riiight,'' Jonghyun derided. “I must be imagining all these times you've been going on about something he said or did.''

''No, you're not. But it's definitely not _all_ the time.''  
  
If there was something that Jonghyun had come to learn about the beautiful young man he spent a lot of his waking hours with, it was that he was incredibly stubborn. Jonghyun had seen that attribute work in amazing ways, especially when it came to his dancing skills. But he had also seen it work in the most annoying and infuriating ways, and this moment was definitely more proof of that.  
  
''Whatever,'' Jonghyun brought himself to say to avoid any blood being shed on the beautiful table between them.  
  
''Anyway,'' Taemin went on. ''Jinki's been feeling lonely and I thought I should help him out a bit, you know, since he's helped me so much throughout the years.''  
  
''Are you going to suck his dick or something?'' Jonghyun couldn't help but voice.  
  
''Eeeeew,'' the younger one all but yelled. ''He's my cousin!!''  
  
''The way you get all excited whenever you talk about him makes me wonder sometimes... ''  
  
''You're fucking gross, Kim Jonghyun.''  
  
That made the blonde's eyebrow cock.  
  
''Interesting...'' he mused.  
  
''What?''  
  
''Seems like I hit a sensitive cord,'' Jonghyun noted matter-of-factly.  
  
''Stop that,'' the brunette said in his most authoritative tone, which didn't feel that convincing to the other.  
  
''Don't worry about it, Tae. Apparently, that happens between cousins more than we think.''  
  
The death stare he received made it hard for him to keep a straight face, the tickling edge of laughter bringing a twitch to his lips.  
  
''I swear... '' Taemin grumbled as a visible clench graced his jaw. He forced himself to roll his tongue in his mouth a few times like his mom had taught him as a kid before resuming.  
  
''I need you to go on a date with him.''  
  
''No. ''  
  
Jonghyun didn't even need to hear more. He wasn't going to entertain any of it.

His response had the other sighing deeply.  
  
''I knew it would play out this way,'' Taemin indicated as he looked straight into the older one's eyes. ''That's why I'm ready to pay.’'  
  
''Excuse me??'' Jonghyun loudly exclaimed.  
  
The other's silence and serious expression only got him more riled up.  
  
''Do I look like a fucking prostitute to you?''  
  
''I'm not asking that you have sex with him. I just want him to get back into the dating scene,'' Taemin calmly explained.  
  
''That's cool and all, but why me?'' Jonghyun had no choice but to ask, bewilderment splashed all across his face.  
  
''I feel like you two could get along,'' Taemin answered. ''Plus, he's always had a thing for petite guys.''  
  
''I'm not petite,'' Jonghyun growled, gaze turning dark.  
  
''Fine, you're a fucking mountain,'' Taemin conceded with a slight eyeroll to spare himself a pointless argument.  
  
''Look,'' he quickly followed with. ''You just have to go on one date and in return, you won't have to be so stressed out about money all the time.''  
  
The tension that had settled on the blonde's face morphed into another look of disbelief.  
  
''Are you actually hearing yourself right now?''  
  
''Yes, I hear myself just fine,'' Taemin replied without shame.  
  
''Sex or no sex, what you are asking of me is still prostitution,'' Jonghyun pointed out bluntly.  
  
''No,'' Taemin squarely countered. ''I asked for a favor and you said no, so I'm adding money into the mix so that it's still a win for you in the end.''  
  
''I can't accept your money.''  
  
''Yes, you can, and you will.''  
  
The blonde gave him a wide-eyed stare.

''The fuck?''  
  
The brunette sighed.

''I know you've worked really hard to get to where you're at, but you deserve to have some space to breathe. That's what I'm really offering you,'' he added for emphasis.  
  
Jonghyun was at a loss for words. He knew Taemin meant well, but that whole deal didn't feel right. On the flip side, getting some extra money would definitely alleviate the burden he carried with him all the time. Getting into his dream school had been a big part of the battle, but actually being able to pay all the fees that came with studying there was a strenuous challenge in itself. He could only do so many hours of work without it affecting his grades and he had already reached that limit.  
  
''Like I said, I only ask for one date,'' Taemin reiterated. ''And you can consider this whole semester dealt with.''  
  
If Jonghyun's eyes could've grown any bigger, they would have at that moment.  
  
''You're tripping...''  
  
That made the younger one laugh.  
  
''I've actually had time to think this through,'' Taemin informed him. ''So I understand if you need some time to think about it, too.''  
  
''I...''  
  
Jonghyun's eyes darted towards his half-filled cup as his mind mulled over the offer. He knew he should stick to his no, but Taemin had effectively spoken to the part of him that ached for some relief.  
  
''I'll think about it,'' he finally said as he brought his gaze up once more.  
  
Taemin grinned.  
  
''Thanks, Jjong.''  
  
In that moment, a lump of nervousness formed in the blonde's throat.  
  
He realized he had just sealed the deal.

***

 _I can’t believe I’m doing this,_ he thought as he stared at the restaurant’s elegant façade.

It was probably now close to ten minutes since he had parked on the other side of the street, building up the courage to follow through with the offer his evil best friend had made him.

He still couldn’t believe he had agreed to it, but here he was, all dressed up, black dress shirt and black pants sticking to him like a second skin and the shaggy bangs that usually covered his forehead now slicked back with some gel to make himself look a bit more presentable. He had even traded his worn-out pair of converse shoes for polished leather loafers. The only thing that had been a non-negotiable for him was the tie. He felt like a fraud, but having agreed to do this, he wasn’t just going to half-ass the task at hand. Despite everything, he still didn’t want to make a bad impression on his best friend’s cousin.

He hated to admit it, but he was nervous. He didn’t know what to expect or what to do, or even what to say. This could be a whole disaster, and if it was, he knew Taemin would never let him hear the end of it. He didn’t do dates and he didn’t do formal wear. But again, here he was, getting ready to play the part.

_I’m fucking pathetic._

He dropped his bare forehead onto the steering wheel, rapidly losing all resolve he had mustered up on his way there. He could’ve pretty much stayed in that position for the rest of night, but the sudden buzzing of his phone in his pocket jolted him back upright.

He looked at his screen and his heart jumped. He couldn’t hide anymore. 

''Hello?'' he answered as his body temperature jumped up a few degrees.

''Am I speaking to Jonghyun?'' the voice at the other end uttered.

The blonde froze for a moment, taking aback by the soft but deep tone that had just graced his ear.

''Hello?'' 

''Y-yes, it’s me,'' Jonghyun stammered despite himself.

 _Fuck._ They hadn’t even met yet and he was already screwing this up.

''Hi, it’s Jinki. Taemin’s cousin,'' the other man went on.

''Ah, yes. Nice to- I mean, um-''

He cut himself off, realizing whatever would come out of his mouth now would just further embarrass him. 

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

His obvious clumsiness was apparently amusing to the other one because he suddenly laughed.

And that laugh did nothing to help Jonghyun recover brain cells.

''I’m already in the restaurant. Are you here yet?'' Jinki asked.

''Um, yeah… Well, I’m just outside. I’ll be right there,'' Jonghyun answered.

''Okay, well I’m in a dark grey suit and I’m wearing glasses,'' the other informed.

''Cool,'' Jonghyun uttered as he tried to form an image of what the other looked like.

''So…''

The sound of the other’s voice brought him back to reality. He instantly gave himself a mental kick for getting lost in his thoughts.

''Yes, um, okay, I’ll be hanging up now,'' he indicated before doing exactly that.

_Okay, Jjong. You’re already making a damn fool of yourself. Get it together._

He took a few deep breaths before finally turning off the car’s engine and stepping out into the mild weather.

For a moment, he thought about bailing out and getting back into the car, but he knew how much of an asshole that would make him feel like. And he definitely was no asshole. Plus, he couldn’t help but think about the money involved.

Well, maybe that made him an asshole.

He managed to push back all of these thoughts in favor of finally getting himself past the entrance door. Hand on the handle, he pushed it open and stepped inside, relinquishing his fate to the wicked hands of the universe. He barely had time to look around when his eyes fell on a sight he was sure he’d never forget.

Jonghyun froze midstep as his gaze took in a gorgeous man whose clothes fit the description he had received a few minutes earlier.

''Jinki?'' he managed to utter despite feeling like his whole nervous system was about to collapse on him.

The man’s face lit up at the sound of his name and as soon as their eyes met, he flashed him a stunning smile.

''Jonghyun!'' he reciprocated enthusiastically as he took a few steps towards him.

It took Jonghyun everything not to step back and run out through the door. This was definitely worse than he had expected. The man was… A few words popped up in his mind, all of them just making it harder for him not to lose his composure.

''Happy to meet you,'' the brunette said before bowing before him.

Jonghyun returned the gesture, bending further down, since he was the younger one.

''Happy to meet you, too,'' he echoed once he rose back up.

He tried a smile, but it felt too forced, too staged. If there was something Jonghyun wasn’t good at, it was definitely acting.

''Have you ever been here before?'' Jinki promptly asked.

''Um, no…'' Jonghyun answered, slightly embarrassed.

He had done his research earlier that week when Taemin had sent him the address only to learn that this restaurant was one of the finest in the area. He could barely afford the essentials so there was no way he had any extra to be visiting these places. Nor did he ever really have any interest to.

''Ah, it’s okay,'' Jinki reassured with a softer but equally dashing smile. '' I’m glad this is your first time. ''

Jonghyun froze again, eyes wide, as his mind ran straight to the gutter with the other’s words.

The latter seemed to notice as he suddenly chuckled nervously, ''That probably didn’t come out right. I’m sorry.''

Jonghyun’s eyebrow cocked as he stared at the other. _Is he for real?_

The subtle blush he caught on the taller one’s face told him that it was indeed an honest mistake.

''I’m- I’m sorry…''

Jonghyun instantly felt bad. He was the one catching double entendres where there was none.

''Don’t be, please,'' he implored. ''I’m sorry, it’s me… I’m being a little weird …''

The brunette seemed to relax at that. Retrieving his smile, he said, ''This is a little never-wracking, huh?''

''Yeah,'' Jonghyun admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

''Well, it’s nothing a little alcohol can’t fix, right?’' Jinki playfully remarked.

That made the blonde laugh.

''Definitely.''

Any words he would’ve said next died in his throat as the brunette’s eyes zeroed in on him in a focused and extremely unnerving way. 

''Um… should we go to our table now?'' he found the courage to say as he deliberately avoided the other’s intent gaze.

That fortunately was enough to snap the other out of whatever trance he had been in.

''Yes, of course,'' he replied, quickly clearing his throat.

They first stopped at the front desk, Jonghyun just tagging along as Jinki gave the elegantly clad lady before them his name for the reservation. She then led them into the restaurant, walking them past the tables until they reached the back where a beautifully set table awaited them.

Along the way, Jonghyun had stolen glances around, taking in the contrasting elegance of the furniture with the robustness of the ceiling-to-floor pillars that gave the space more character and charm. He was even more pleased by the warm lighting that completed the portrait like icing on a cake, giving the room an intimate vibe.

Once the lady had finished setting the menus on the table and another came in to fill up their glasses with water, they sat, finding themselves alone.

''So, what’s your poison?'' Jinki immediately asked.

The blonde’s brow cocked.

''Shouldn’t we be ordering some expensive wine or something?''

''We could, if that’s what you want, but I’d rather you tell me what you like,'' Jinki indicated.

For some reason, that was enough to make Jonghyun’s heart jump inside his chest again.

''Um, well… I don’t drink often, but I really like rum,'' he shared as he tried not to linger on his body’s unsolicited reaction.

''Great,'' Jinki exclaimed as his face lit up even more. ''That’s my favorite.''

Immediately after, he gestured to one of the waiters in sight and ordered two glasses of a brand of rum Jonghyun was sure he had never tasted before. The order was served to them a few seconds later, the golden-brown liquid swaying beautifully inside the clear glasses.

Jinki was the first to pick up his glass.

''To a beautiful evening,'' he softly said as he lifted it.

''To a beautiful evening,'' Jonghyun reciprocated with a small smile before they both brought their glasses to their lips.

The taste that graced the blonde’s tongue was a perfect mix of strong, velvety, and sweet, making it impossible for him not to moan from contentment.

''That is the best rum I’ve ever had,'' he enthused, before realizing the other’s gaze had changed again.

He didn’t know what it was, but he could definitely feel himself tense up because of it. Fortunately, he didn’t have to speak this time for the other one to get back into conversation.

''I would have to agree with that,'' Jinki finally said with a smile.

''I’m guessing everything here is great, huh?'' the blonde gathered.

''Yeah, I’d say so,'' Jinki confirmed. ''Although…'' he went on immediately after, ''I pretty much always order the same thing, so I’m probably not the best person to ask,'' he admitted in a somewhat apologetic tone.

''What’s your order?'' Jonghyun asked with genuine interest.

''Their duck confit.''

The blonde stared blankly at him for a few seconds as his mind tried to figure out whatever that could be. 

His confusion must’ve shown clear because the other chuckled before saying, ''It’s basically duck cooked in its own fat.''

Jonghyun grimaced at that.

''That doesn’t sound very appetizing to me.’'

''I can understand,'' Jinki said with another soft laugh. ''So what kind of food do you usually enjoy?''

''Um… pretty simple stuff I guess,'' Jonghyun answered, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

The brunette acknowledged those words with a nod.

''To be honest, I just love to eat, so give me anything and I’m in.''

The blonde snorted out a laugh at that.

''Sounds like Taemin.''

He was answered with a broad smile.

''I guess we have some things in common.''

 _Yeah, a stunning face seems to be one of them,_ Jonghyun replied in the safety of his mind.

''By the way, I’ve been curious to know how you two became friends,'' the older one went on as he picked up his glass again.

''Oh, that…'' Jonghyun uttered mindlessly. ''I don’t know if it’s a funny story or if it’s just really cringy…''

''Now you have me even more intrigued,'' Jinki prodded with a grin. 

''Well, if you must know,'' Jonghyun started, realizing this was another chance for him to get back at the little brat. ''I first met him at a school party last year. I didn’t want to go in the first place, but a friend of mine insisted, so I tagged along. When we arrived there, my friend quickly abandoned me for a girl, leaving me alone in the midst of hundreds of strangers. At that point, I was just going to leave, but someone approached me. At first, I thought he looked cute, but as soon as he started talking, I could see he was pretty far gone. He said a lot of things, things that could’ve gotten him in deep shit if he had said them to any other guy. ''

''Oh god,'' Jinki suddenly interjected as a look of worry settled on his face.

''Don’t worry, this ends well,'' Jonghyun reassured with a small laugh.

''Good, please continue.''

''So, like I said, I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t help but fear what might happen if I left him there. I ended up asking him to follow me and we got out. Then I asked where his dorm room was, but he never managed to tell me, so I brought him back to mine. I got him into bed and he immediately fell asleep before waking up a few minutes later and puking all over the floor. He didn’t even seem to notice though, because he went right back to sleep after that. And then the next morning, once he was alert enough that I could walk him through what had happened, he apologized, thanked me a million times and hung around for the rest of the morning. I still didn’t understand what his deal was, but it felt weirdly comfortable to have him there. And then, I guess it just picked up from that.''

''That’s Taemin’s charm for you,'' Jinki acknowledged with what seemed like a prideful smile.

Jonghyun snorted again, ''Yeah, I guess.''

A full laugh rolled out of the brunette.

''You’ve obviously seen all that comes with that charm, too.''

''Definitely,'' Jonghyun replied immediately.

Jinki laughed some more.

''Well, thank god you were there that night and that you’re still in his life. You seem to be a good influence on him.''

The blonde’s brow cocked.

''A good influence?''

''Yeah,'' Jinki validated. ''Tae talks about you all the time and one of the things that always comes back is his admiration for your passion and work ethic. You seem to have rubbed off on him because I can see how serious he is about things now.''

Jonghyun was trying to keep his face under control, but he knew he was failing at hiding his surprise and utter shock.

''He’s never…. I didn’t know he…''

And he was also failing to verbalize any coherent thought.

''Taemin will never outright tell you this, but what I know is that he doesn’t hang out with someone if he doesn’t really love them.''

''Yeah… I guess,'' Jonghyun admitted as he unconsciously rubbed the back of his neck again. ''What about you and Tae?'' he inquired to get the focus off of himself. ''You two seem pretty close.''

He was first answered with a beaming smile that turned his mouth dry. He quickly reached for his glass and took another sip.

''Yes, we are. It’s just always been like that despite our age gap. I’m an only child so my parents would bring me to my aunts’ and uncles’ houses a lot and I always had the most fun with Taemin. He was always so joyful and full of life, and that always made me feel happy. As we grew up, that bond deepened and now, I just see him as my little brother.''

''That’s… really nice,'' Jonghyun said, feeling touched despite himself.

''Yeah,'' Jinki agreed. '' He’s always bringing good into my life.''

Their eyes locked at that and Jonghyun’s heart did another somersault.

''Um, so… shouldn’t we order or something?'' he uttered as his eyes darted back to his glass.

''Shouldn’t you look at the menu first?'' Jinki pointed out with a teasing edge to his tone.

_Shit._

''Uh, yeah. Of course.''

After looking at a bunch of items that didn’t make any sense to him, he finally settled for the swiss chard and goat cheese cannelloni. He was pretty sure a pasta dish wouldn’t disappoint his taste buds.

Once their orders were placed, the conversation lulled for a bit, leaving Jonghyun time to assess everything that had happened up until now. He couldn’t say things were going badly. On the contrary, but that just made it all the more confusing for him. Without thinking, he brought his glass to his lips again and downed the rest of the liquid, which he immediately regretted when the fire that suddenly blew up in his throat made him cough uncontrollably.

''Are you alright?'' Jinki asked as he gave him a worried look. 

Jonghyun nodded through his coughing fit. It took a few more seconds for his airways to clear out and bring him back to a peaceful state.

''I’m sorry… I…''

''Are you okay?''

The genuine concern he could read on the other’s face made him feel even more self-conscious and stupid. He couldn’t help but look away.

''Yes, I just…''

He didn’t even know what to say. And he couldn’t even use his glass as a distraction anymore.

_Dammit._

''Can I tell you something?''

Jonghyun looked up again, curious as to what that thing might be.

''Yes?''

''I haven’t been on a date in years,'' Jinki shared.

Jonghyun blinked at him in surprise.

''Seriously?''

''Yes,'' the brunette reiterated with a sheepish smile. ''I’ve never really made time for anything that didn’t have to do with work.''

''So, what’s changed now?'' Jonghyun couldn’t help but ask.

''Hmm…'' Jinki pondered. ''Well… I guess I’ve finally realized how much I was missing out on.''

''Oh, well, from what I’ve heard you’ve made a pretty good life for yourself already,'' the blonde pointed out.

''I guess in terms of social status, yes, but in my everyday life, things were starting to get…'' he paused, looking nowhere in particular. ''Repetitive.''

''Oh, and here I thought lawyers had the most exciting lives,'' Jonghyun mocked without thinking.

His eyes instantly grew wide as he realized what he had just said.

''I didn’t mean to-''

Jinki laughed, ''I get it. I could try to defend my job, but being a corporate lawyer really isn’t exciting.''

''So why do you do it?''

''Because that’s what was expected of me. And I’m good at it,'' Jinki laid out openly.

''But… ''

Jonghyun couldn’t even begin to understand how someone could just go about a job without being really passionate about it. He had fought all his life to be able to pursue music as a career because, in the end, there was nothing else he could see himself doing.

''It's alright,'' Jinki laughed off. ''I dodged having to go into the medical field, so that's a win in my book."  
  
Jonghyun was tempted to dig further, to understand why the other had settled for a life without much agency, but he didn't feel like it was his place.  
  
''Have I just lost you?'' the brunette inquired.  
  
Jonghyun caught the flash of fear that went through his gaze and felt his chest tighten.  
  
''No, not at all,'' he instantly reassured. ''I'm just... intrigued,'' he chose after a moment of thought.  
  
''Okay."  
  
A second after, the brunette picked up his glass and downed it just as he had a few minutes before.  
  
The gesture surprised him and even more so the absence of coughing that followed.  
  
''Let me order us another round of rum and you can ask away," the older one indicated before doing just that.  
  
What followed was a pretty intimate exchange on how they had been brought up, an exchange during which the blonde found himself revealing a lot more than he would have ever imagined. They had just met and there he was talking about how the only good thing his mother had ever done for him was kick him out.  
  
By then, they were both half-way through their meals and the place had become even more crowded, but that did nothing to distract them from one another.  
  
''She kicked you out?" Jinki exclaimed, eyes growing wide behind his thick frames.  
  
"Well, yeah. She couldn't have a defiant son disturbing her peace all the time," Jonghyun intoned with full-fledged sarcasm.  
  
"That's horrible," Jinki voiced in shock.

''Yeah, but it turned out for the best,'' Jonghyun observed. ''Living with my sister helped me get my shit together and get me to where I am now."  
  
Silence followed his words as the other looked straight into his eyes. Jonghyun felt a shiver run down his spine.  
  
"You're incredible."  
  
At that, he was pretty sure the man before him was out to kill him. His heart raced as the words rang loud in his mind.  
  
"I'm sure I wouldn't have had that resolve if I were in your place," the other then noted.  
  
The blonde wanted to argue and dismiss any credit the other was attributing him, but the dark chocolate orbs he was plunged into took the words right out of him. A little voice in his head told him to stop staring, but he felt paralyzed. He was praying the other would break the spell by looking away, but he didn't.  
  
"Do I have something on my face?" Jinki inquired, titter vibrating in his voice.  
  
_Yes, your face._  
  
"No, I'm sorry... I just zoned out..." Jonghyun excused as convincingly as he could.  
  
"I get it. I would zone out, too, if we were talking about my painful memories," Jinki remarked, offering him an apologetic look.  
  
"It's fine, really," Jonghyun quickly replied as to not blow his cover.  
  
"Even so, why don't we move on to lighter stuff now?" the older one proposed with a broad smile that crinkled his eyes.  
  
_Or perhaps, could we move to a bed?_ Jonghyun couldn't help but think as the sight before him awakened a part of him he usually managed to keep under control.  
  
"Yeah, sure," he said, reciprocating with a smile of his own.  
  
The conversation went on from there to discussions on their favorite things, like books, movies, and music. Even though they didn't always share common knowledge or taste in these things, their openness to each other made the rest of the evening go by pleasantly.  
  
"Did you enjoy your meal?" Jinki asked after the table had been cleared.  
  
"Yeah, it was pretty good," Jonghyun genuinely answered.  
  
The brunette grinned. "Glad it was. Do you want dessert?" he then offered.  
  
"Hmm... I'd say yes, but I'm pretty stuffed," Jonghyun admitted with a breathy laugh.  
  
"We can share," the other proposed before crossing his arms over the draped table. "Their crème brûlée is fantastic and I'd love for you to have a taste."  
  
Jonghyun felt his mouth go dry. Even if he would've wanted to say no, the eagerness he could hear in the other's tone had him do the contrary.  
  
"Okay, sure," he uttered, hoping his answer came off as nonchalant.  
  
He received another eye-blinding smile before the other took the lead again and ordered the aforementioned dessert.  
  
It was a few minutes before a small ceramic dish was placed between them. Jonghyun stared at the caramelized crust with interest before his eyes went to the utensils. There was only one spoon.  
  
"Um... They forgot a spoon," Jonghyun indicated as his eyes flicked up to the brunette.  
  
" I'm not averse to sharing a spoon, so you can eat first, " Jinki naturally settled before picking up the spoon and handing it to him.  
  
Jonghyun took it, feeling somewhat uneasy.  
  
"Have as much as you want," the other then added with what was meant to be a reassuring smile.  
  
But Jonghyun just felt more unnerved by it. All the attention was on him and even though that was something he relished in regards to his music, it wasn't something he loved getting in any other context.  
  
Especially not right now, when the attention was coming from a man who seemed to know just what to do to get him riled up.  
  
"Please, eat," Jinki urged as his smile grew wider.  
  
At that, Jonghyun had no other choice but to comply. He scooped out a spoonful of the creamy custard that hid under the thin crust and brought the spoon to his lips. A subtle flutter graced his lashes as he had his first taste. The sweet eggy flavor mixed with the creamy but light texture felt like a true gift to his taste buds.

"So? Do you like it?" Jinki inquired as a soft smile danced on his full lips.

" Oh, yeah, so good," Jonghyun drawled as his eyes zeroed in on the dent he had made in the dish.

A full laugh rumbled out of the brunette's mouth.

"Enjoy."

Jonghyun met his eyes for a second before he plunged the spoon right back in. The second bite felt even more divine than the first and before he could let himself think, he went in for a third, fourth, and fifth spoonful.

It was only when his mind caught up with his stomach again that he realized that more than half of the receptacle was empty. His eyes widened.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," he apologized as he put the utensil down and lowered his head like a child awaiting punishment.

He missed the expression of confusion that splayed across the other's face, but heard his words loud and clear.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. This was for you."

Jonghyun dared look up, inheriting the confused look in turn.

"I thought you wanted to share," he pointed out.

The brunette shrugged.

"I've had this dessert a million times. I'm not missing out."

"Still, I-"

"You can have it," Jinki interrupted purposefully.

Jonghyun blinked at him for a few seconds.

"Is it because of the spoon? I can ask-"

"No," the brunette interjected again. "I just want you to have it."

Jonghyun searched his face for any sign that he was lying, but found none.

"Plus," the older one went on, "I've put on a few pounds from stress eating so you'll be doing me a favor if you finish this," he ended with an embarrassed smile that leaned into an airy laugh.

 _Cute,_ Jonghyun’s mind prompted without notice. The thought had the blonde looking at the dessert again, not trusting himself one bit if he kept his eyes on the other man facing him.

_Best that I just eat this so that I can get out of here._

Jonghyun did just that and soon enough, one of the waiters brought over the bill, immediately handing it to the brunette.

"Shouldn’t there be two?" Jonghyun immediately inquired as he furrowed his brows.

The older one let a pleased smile stretch wide across his face.

"Should there be?"

A shiver ran boldly across the blonde’s spine at that.

"Well, yeah… I mean… "

"I brought you here, so it’s on me," Jinki settled gently.

Before Jonghyun could slide in a word of protest, the brunette made his move and gestured to the same waiter that had lingered nearby. Jonghyun just watched as he felt robbed once more of a parcel of his dignity.

A few minutes later, they were finally heading out, the now cooler breeze of the evening meeting them upon their first step out of the restaurant. A moment of shared silence grew between them as they stood before the entrance and gazed into the half-busy street.

"So… " Jonghyun trailed off into silence.

He really didn’t know what to say at this point. The reality of this only being a one-time thing suddenly loomed in the forefront of his mind.

"Can I be honest with you, Jonghyun?" Jinki suddenly asked as he turned a bit more towards him.

The blonde felt himself tense up a bit at the additional proximity, but composed himself enough to nod.

"I would love for this to happen again," the older one instantly voiced.

His expression seemed serious enough for Jonghyun to believe his words, which only made his heart leap and his stomach flutter.

 _How does he do that?_ he couldn’t help but wonder as he felt all control seep out of him through now sweaty hands.

"Me, too," he agreed before time stretched too long between them.

Jinki smiled wide and bright.

"Glad to hear that."

Jonghyun made it a point to keep holding his gaze and return his smile, despite his main effort being on keeping himself together.

"I’ll be texting you soon, okay?" Jinki asked, his tone soft and easy.

"‘Kay," Jonghyun replied as he retreated to his nervous habit of rubbing the back of his neck.

"Did you come here by car?" the brunette then verified.

"Yeah, it’s right over there," the blonde indicated as he pointed towards an early 2000s white Corolla across the street.

"Good," Jinki acknowledged as his gaze followed. "I’ll let you go then. Goodnight, Jonghyun," he offered as departing words before flashing a last smile that read as soft but straightforward.

"Goodnight, Jinki," Jonghyun echoed as his face broke into a bashful smile.

They parted ways right after, Jinki heading farther down the street while Jonghyun headed straight to his car.

The blonde settled quickly into his seat, his head yearning to find the comfort of the steering wheel again. A big sigh left his lips as his forehead hit the sturdy surface.

As his eyes closed, his mind immediately formed an all too vivid image of the man he had spent the evening with. He could once again see his coiffed, but oh-so-soft looking hair, his beautiful bushy eyebrows under which thick frames sat perfectly on a proud nose, and his full lips that didn't waste a chance to stretch into one of the most beautiful smiles Jonghyun had seen in his life. The image could've trailed further down, but Jonghyun knew to draw the line there if he didn't want to make his pants any tighter.

He wasn't going to fool anyone, especially not himself. He was wildly attracted to this man.

And that was a problem.


	2. Different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a long time coming... XD   
> Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think ^^

If Jonghyun had thought he could've had a peaceful morning after having a troubled night of sleep, he realized he was gravely mistaken.

Loud knocks fell rhythmically against his dorm room's door like a hammer hitting a nail repeatedly, the sound instantly awakening his rage impulse.

He gave the door a death stare it didn't deserve before walking towards it, not even minding that he was only clad in short briefs.

"What?!" he burst out as the door swung open from his forceful pull.

The intent of his demeanour was miserably lost on the young brunette that stood before him. The latter just walked in as if he owned the place, wasting no time settling comfortably on the living room's small couch.

Jonghyun's gaze followed, watching as the other casually hooked a leg over the seat's arm before looking straight at him.

"Did you guys fuck?"

The question dropped without notice, completely throwing off the blonde's stubborn grumpiness.

"Excuse me?" he let out in a voice that crescendoed from sheer astonishment.

"Why don't you start by closing the door," the other said, unbothered. "Unless you want everyone to know your business."

Jonghyun's bewildered look moved away from the other for the length of time it took to shut and lock the door before he brought it back on him.

"What's your fucking deal?" he voiced as frustration grew back into his tone.

"Don't get mad at me," the younger one replied, scoffing. "Taemin said you went on a date with his cousin, so I wanted to be the first to get the crunchy details."

A feline smile stretched across bowed lips as surprise read boldly on the blonde's face.

"Taemin told you?" the latter asked.

"Didn't you hear my opening question?" the brunette reminded with a frown.

Jonghyun frowned back in confusion before his face slowly relaxed.

"That isn't any of your business," he said, opting for a casual tone this time.

"Well yes, it is," the other countered. "Who else are you going to share this with? It's not like you are going to tell Taemin how good or how bad sex was with his cousin."

Jonghyun gave him a stone-hard look.

"Taemin just wanted me to go on a date with the guy, don't get shit twisted."

"You mean he paid you to go on a date," the brunette corrected. "So you had to put out."

That was enough to make the blonde's blood boil hot.  
  
"Kibum," he gritted menacingly. "Get out."  
  
"Come on, Jjong," his friend maintained in a calm tone. "I'm not gonna make fun, I just want to know if you had a good time."  
  
Jonghyun knew better than to trust those words.  
  
"I'm not telling you jack shit."  
  
Kibum's face hardened. Cold eyes silently battled with fiery ones before it became clear that a strategic retreat was the best course of action.  
  
"Fine," the younger one curtly said.  
  
He got back up on his two feet and promptly walked past the other, making sure to slam the door on his way out.  
  
A loud sigh left the blonde's mouth before he rubbed some of the tension off his face. It wasn't even 9 am yet and he already felt like the day was dragging on too long. But that wasn't anything new.  
  
The only thing that could help revive his functioning corpse was a fresh brew. Not wasting another second on thoughts, he moved to the small space that acted as a kitchen and got his small coffee machine running. As the strong and comforting smell filled the air, Jonghyun closed his eyes, trying to catch a break from everything.

But that was probably the worst thing he could’ve done at that moment. The very image that had played hide and seek with his mind for the past few hours came right at him with vivid details that made his chest and core tighten. His eyes shot open before that sensation could travel any lower.

He reached for one of his cupboard’s handle with a slightly trembling hand and pulled out his favorite mug. It was a light cream-colored mug that was a bit chipped at the rim and had a stained bottom, but it was a memento of moments from the past that he didn’t see himself being able to let go of. Not yet.

He filled it to the brim with the steaming hot liquid, enjoying the stark contrast between the colors. Cream and dark brown met against the fullest of his lips, the softest of inhales giving him a first taste of his favorite remedy. His face inevitably warmed up from the waves of heat that ran out through the tight space created by his hunched stance over his cup. It was then that he sunk in, plunging mouth first into the rich and dark pool that floated before him. Taking the dive had never felt better than in that moment.

A few invigorating laps in, he turned towards his living room to look out through the window. The day was a cloudy one, prefacing possible outbursts of rain. If it were anyone else, that might’ve been a depressing sight, but to Jonghyun it was comforting. He felt his shoulders relax as his eyes stilled on the scenery.

This moment could’ve been perfect in every way, but peace seemed to always be too much to ask for in Jonghyun’s world. Another series of knocks on his door jolted him back into a tense state.

_I swear to fucking God…_

He had the good sense to put down his cup on the counter before marching back towards the front door to tell his friend off.

"Go away, Kibum," he yelled at the closed door.

A muffled titter reached him from the other side. "Hyung, it’s not Bummie."

At that, Jonghyun felt a stab of anxiety. "Um… I’m… I’m… naked."

"So? I’ve seen your dick before," the other said, raising his voice to be heard.

The blonde had to close his eyes and take a deep breath not to feed into his murderous urges. He knew if he kept arguing through the door, more embarrassing things would probably come out of the other’s mouth, so he had to settle on opening the door. Even if that was literally the last thing he wanted to do right now.

He had barely pulled it open when he felt himself stumble backwards from the force of another body launching forward into him. A thumping sound reverberated from their chests colliding as arms wrapped tightly around his bare torso.

"Get off of me," he ordered, voice muffled from the shock of hair that pressed against part of his face.

The grip around him just got tighter, almost cutting off his breath, and for a moment there, he wondered if this was turning into an attempt on his life. Fortunately, it didn’t get to that as the other let go and stepped back. The grin he was sporting between his full cheeks didn’t feel even slightly reassuring to the blonde.

"What are you smiling about?" the latter asked, nervous.

If it was even possible the brunette’s smile grew even wider. He looked like he was about to burst into a million particles from how frantic his energy felt.

"I knew it!" Taemin finally exploded as he threw his arms up in victory.

Jonghyun cocked a brow, confused. "You knew what?"

There was a pause as the other looked him up and down with a narrowed gaze.

"You said you were naked," Taemin reminded, frown drawing his eyebrows close.

"I lied," Jonghyun admitted.

The brunette’s mouth dropped open as the crease grew deeper between his eyes.

"Why would you do that?"

A visible contraction ran through the blonde’s jaw. "I just wanted to have a peaceful morning, but I guess that was too much to ask for."

With that, he walked back to the counter and picked up his mug, determined to at least enjoy a nice cup of coffee.

"Can you please close the door?" Jonghyun asked as he glanced at the slight opening that remained.

The younger one did just that before taking a few steps towards him.

"I didn’t mean to disturb your peace," Taemin said in a more subdued tone. "I was just really excited to share the good news. "

"And what would that be?" Jonghyun inquired, gripping his mug closer.

Taemin’s lips stretched into a smile again. " He likes you, like _a lot_. "

And right on cue, Jonghyun’s heart flipped.

_Shit._

"Who’s _he_?" he feigned in a measly attempt to remain in denial.

Taemin crossed his arms, unamused. "For real, now?"

Jonghyun didn’t budge, focusing instead on getting more coffee into his system.

"You know very well who I’m talking about," Taemin stated before his eyes zeroed in on the other’s cup.

"Are you not going to offer me some coffee?" he said, lips curling into a pout.

"Are you not going to finish what you were saying?" Jonghyun echoed, baffled by the sudden change of topic.

"Oh, so you’re interested now?" the younger one fired back.

A staring contest ensued, which the blonde conveniently abandoned to grab another mug from the cupboard. He filled it with what had remained in the coffee pot and handed it to his friend who, in the meantime, had wiggled his way closer. 

"Thank you, Jjongie," the latter cooed as he bounced lightly on his feet.

Jonghyun watched as he took a long first sip, taking that lull in conversation to mentally prepare for what was to come. He really wished he had had his much needed alone time to sort things out.

Feeling like his body would need assistance soon, he moved to the couch and slowly settled onto one of the soft cushions. Of course, that meant being copied two minutes later by the other one who sat right beside him. Jonghyun held in an annoyed sigh.

"So, are you ready to talk about this now?" the brunette verified as he shifted his body aslant to better look at him. 

"Yeah, whatever," Jonghyun answered, shoulders inadvertently hunching over.

"What did you think of him?" Taemin immediately asked.

The blonde’s eyes flicked sideways to catch the other’s face before he reverted to the comforting sight of his filled mug. His mind felt jumbled and whenever that happened, there was a risk he’d say something he would regret. He couldn’t afford that right now. He was naked enough as it was.

"He’s… nice," he finally chose. The simplest answer was surely his best option right now.

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to suffice for his friend.

"Nice?" Taemin threw back with a cocked brow.

"Yeah," Jonghyun maintained before bringing his cup to his lips again.

"Anything else?" the younger one went on.

"Nope."

A sigh followed, but much to the blonde’s surprise, it sounded like a sigh of relief.

"I fucking knew it," his friend let out.

Jonghyun couldn’t help but look straight at him with a deep frown now creasing his forehead.

"Can you stop with that? What the hell does that even mean?" he snapped as he took in the victorious smile that graced the other’s face.

"You like him too," Taemin sing-songed like an elementary school kid.

"How did you pick that up from me saying he’s nice?"

"I know you too well, Hyung," the other stated. "If you hadn’t enjoyed his company, the first thing that would’ve come out of your mouth would’ve been something negative."

Jonghyun’s mouth dropped open before he shut it tight, his eyes then narrowing into a hateful stare.

The only effect that had was to make the brunette burst out laughing in his characteristic hiccupy laugh, almost spilling some of his coffee over in the process.

"Am I wrong?" he managed to say through his fit.

Jonghyun wished a simple yes could’ve settled the whole matter, but he also knew how bad he was at lying and how pointless it was at this point. That didn’t mean he had to outright admit though.

His stubborn silence had the other getting right back at it.

"I know you won’t just admit to it, but still, I’m happy things went well between you two," he said, voice sincere.

"Also," he added. "I’ve already made the transfer to your account," he casually informed before taking a sip.

That instantly pulled the blonde out of his muteness.

"Tae… I can’t, " he uttered, uncomfortable.

"We already discussed this…"

"Yeah, I know, but… it feels wrong."

The guilt which sprung up through his chest made his head fall forward, his gaze landing straight on his bare thighs.

"It’s really not a big deal," Taemin dismissed. "Anyway, it’s not like I’ll be paying you every time or something."

"Every time?" Jonghyun promptly reacted as he straightened up again. "What do you think this is?"

A sly smile stretched across the brunette’s lips. "Oh, I don’t know. You tell me."

Jonghyun gave him a bewildered look. "You’re not making any damn sense."

"I don’t need to, as long as _I_ get what I mean that’s enough," the younger one indicated with a shrug. 

"In any case," he continued as he put down his cup on the small coffee table before them. "Jinki said he’d be texting you later today, just so you know."

The blonde felt goosebumps prickle his skin.

"I’m sure you have nothing to do with that," he scoffed, partly to divert himself from his body’s betrayal.

The brunette chuckled. "I actually didn’t have to say much." A mischievous smile played on his lips. "One thing you have to know about Jinki is that when he wants something, he is very stubborn about getting it."

Upon hearing those words, Jonghyun’s first impulse was to scream, but he miraculously managed to keep it together despite the shiver that ran through him. 

"Why does that remind me of someone?" he said as naturally as he could.

Taemin laughed. "Oh, I don’t know. "

He then pushed himself back up on his two feet. "I’ll let you enjoy the rest of your morning, Hyung. I gotta meet up with Jongin to practice."

Jonghyun frowned at him. "Again?"

"Well, yeah. We have a choreo to present in contemp’ class this Friday," he quickly defended.

Jonghyun gave him an unimpressed look before deciding that now wasn’t the time to force the issue.

"Yeah, okay, have fun."

He felt the other’s lingering gaze on him as he drank more coffee, but deliberately ignored it. A second later, he heard him mutter something under his breath, but didn’t make any move to show that he cared.

As expected, his demeanour prompted the brunette to leave his dorm without another word, but surprisingly, his door wasn’t slammed shut on his way out.

Jonghyun let out a long sigh as he looked around his living space.

_All for a peaceful morning…_

***

If Jonghyun had hoped that things would settle, he was once again gravely mistaken. He couldn’t even fault anyone other than himself this time. The inner turmoil he had been experiencing lately wasn’t anything less than strange.

Jonghyun wasn’t one to run after people or be particularly needy. Life had shown him that his best support system was himself and he had chosen to live his life in alignment with that lesson. The friends he had now had been made through a fortunate chain of circumstances that he was very grateful for, but in the back of his mind, he never felt like these relationships could persist over the long haul. He had always believed that he would end up going through life alone. The thought wasn’t even a dark assessment of his life; it just felt like the natural course of things.

That’s why the moment he found himself feeling something that could be categorized as neediness, he felt unsettled. Did he enjoy having company? Yes. Sometimes. Did he miss his friends when they didn’t get to hang out in a while? Yes. Sometimes. Did he ever feel like there was a void if he didn’t get to see other people? No. Not really.

So again, he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that he was feeling like an abandoned pup right now. It had been five days since Jinki should’ve supposedly texted him and he still hadn’t gotten any news. At first, he had chalked that up to the fact that Taemin had probably mislead him to mess with his head a bit, but by day three, he genuinely started to feel worried and insecure. What if Jinki had just been polite and hadn’t really enjoyed his company?

By now, he had probably had that thought a million times and every time, it felt like a soft stab to his chest. The day before, he had even thought of getting some information through Taemin, but at the last minute, he had buried his words down his throat, still determined on saving face. It was a good thing for his ego, but not so much for his current emotional balance. His eyes had now been glued to his phone for the last ten minutes, distracting him from the composition he had been trying to work on for the past few days. Something he cared about so much was now falling by the wayside because of irrational impulses.

The vibrant blue sky that had graced the day was now morphing into darker shades and soon enough, another day would’ve passed without him getting any kind of relief from his inexplicable predicament. He felt screwed in so many ways, apart from the way he was probably needy for. Jonghyun didn’t do emotional connection, but he did find himself in dire need of physical touch a lot of times. He wasn’t very vocal about it, but it was still very present nonetheless. Popping in some porn and jerking off to it before bed usually did the trick, but even that hadn’t been effective in the past few days.

He had jerked off, but his fuel hadn’t been some mindless porn plot. It had been something very real, but also very foreign. What was becoming clear in his mind was that if things kept up in the way they had, he’d probably have to call up Taemin again. And he certainly didn’t want to have to resort to that.

_God… what is wrong with me?_

He threw his phone on the empty cushion beside him before picking it right back up two seconds later.

Nothing new.

He groaned loudly at his own pathetic behaviour as his hand clenched tightly around the small device.

_Damn you, Tae._

Jonghyun had been perfectly fine with the balance he had before. Was he working himself too hard? Probably. But he was staying focused and disciplined. Now those words felt like a joke to him.

His eyes shut as he took a few deep breaths to settle himself a bit. The exercise was enough to create some much needed mind space. Space that was soon filled with the only solution that could calm his nerves and turmoil.

Call him.

Of course, it was easier said than done, but after another five minutes of internal debate, he stopped fighting.

The loop of rings that reverberated against his eardrum brought his heart rate to a frighteningly high speed and for a moment there, he thought he wouldn’t make it, but the voice suddenly cutting through monopolized his focus. 

"Jonghyun?"

The one in question swallowed, simultaneously realizing how dry his throat had become.

"Hello?"

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about hanging up right this instant, but something stronger than his fear prevented him from doing just that.

"Yes, it’s me."

Jonghyun heard his smile on the other end.

"Was just making sure," Jinki replied. "How are you?"

_I’m just about to lose my fucking mind, but I’m good and you?_

"I’m fine… I was just… doing some stuff for school," he voiced, feeling awkward. 

"And you?"

"Well, first, I’m glad you’re fine," the other said. "Secondly, I could give you my ready-to-go answer or a real answer. Which one do you feel up for?"

"The real one, of course," Jonghyun immediately answered.

"Well…" A sigh followed. "I’ve been swamped with this new case and it’s really not given me any time to breathe. At first, I thought it could just be solved with an easy settlement, but now it’s just a complicated mess..." A longer sigh left him this time.

Guilt weighed on the blonde’s chest at that. He had been so wrapped up in his selfish needs that he hadn’t thought for a minute that the other might’ve had a good excuse for not calling back.

"I’m so sorry you’ve been overwhelmed by that," he offered.

"It’s fine, really," the other immediately said in return. "I’ve been through this type of madness so many times before." He then laughed.

"Still, I hope your workload will lighten up soon."

"I hope so too."

The inevitable awkward silence crept in in that moment, leaving Jonghyun in the face of his pitiful previous behavior.

"I didn’t want to bother you," he started, shameful. "I just…"

Nothing seemed justifiable enough to explain himself.

"Don’t worry about it," Jinki reassured. "I’m glad you called actually. I’ve been feeling guilty about not calling you back like I’d promised."

"But I was going to…" he immediately added. "I just wanted to have more time…"

"I get it," Jonghyun acknowledged, his shoulders relaxing from the relief of not having been forgotten.

"I’m glad you do and I’m sorry," the other said.

"Don’t worry about it,"Jonghyun reassured.

"No, but really, it’s not okay," Jinki went on. "I should’ve taken a few minutes to call you."

"What can I do to make this right again?" he then asked.

Jonghyun felt himself get warm all over. _Why is he being like this?_

A bunch of ideas popped up in response to his question, but ultimately, they all came down to one thing.

"I’d just like to see you, to be honest."

These words had probably not seen the light more than five times throughout his whole life, but in this moment, it felt like there was no better way to express what he wanted.

"Ah, well," a brief pause ensued, "I can definitely do something about that."

His voice felt like a soft caress against Jonghyun’s ear and he had to bite his lip to prevent any inappropriate sound from leaving him.

"Actually…" the brunette continued. "I’ve been thinking about having ice cream all day and I could definitely use a break right now."

Jonghyun frowned, not sure he was following. "You mean…"

"I mean let’s go eat some ice cream together," the older one reiterated in a cheerful tone.

"Unless, you don’t like ice cream, which would be totally fine too," he immediately added.

"No, no, I like ice cream," Jonghyun confirmed with a bit too much enthusiasm. He noticed immediately, making a mental note to himself to reel it in. 

"But what happened with not stress eating?" he couldn’t help but ask, his teasing nature never too far behind.

The brunette snorted. "Pardon my language, but fuck that."

Jonghyun’s eyes widened as a familiar pang hit his stomach.

_If he curses again, I’m fucked._

"Amen to that," he played along with a small laugh.

Jinki joined in before speaking again. "In what area do you live?"

"I live on campus," Jonghyun answered.

"Oh," the other exclaimed in surprise. "It’s actually not too far from where I work… maybe fifteen minutes or so," he informed.

Jonghyun found himself feeling a bit too happy about that fact and had to make another mental note to himself to calm the fuck down.

"I’ll just check real quick if there is an ice-cream parlor not far from there," Jinki indicated before falling into silence.

Jonghyun quietly waited, just now noticing the queasy feeling in his stomach that came around whenever he was nervous or uneasy.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to sit with it long.

"Okay, there is one at about a ten-minute walking distance from the campus," Jinki reprised. "Is that okay for you?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Okay, so I’ll text you the address," the older one settled.

"Good."

"I should be there in half an hour."

"Great."

"Okay, so see you soon," Jinki concluded with a smile that didn’t fail to translate at the other end.

"See you soon," Jonghyun reciprocated, a bit more subdued.

As soon as the line cut off, he flopped onto the couch, already overwhelmed by that bit of interaction.

He closed his eyes for a while, just trying to recover. After what seemed like an eternity, he reopened them and finally made a move to get ready. He didn’t have too much time, so he went straight to his room to get changed. He took off his hoodie, his cap and sweatpants and looked through his rack of clothes to pick out something more appropriate for the circumstances.

Jonghyun always chose comfort over style, but he still felt the pressure of making a good impression on the other. He knew there was no need to go all out like last time, but he could definitely put in more effort than he usually would.

As he looked through his items of clothing again and again, he couldn’t help but wish Kibum was there to help him out. Unfortunately, they still weren’t on speaking terms if the looks of hatred he had received from the other in the hallways were any indication. Jonghyun definitely had the luck of befriending the most stubborn people in the world.

After a few more minutes, he finally settled on a loose-fitting grey shirt and dark jeans that were ripped at the knees. He wasn’t sure it was the best choice, but in the end, that’s all he could agree with himself to wear. He completed the look with his black Timbs, thinking to himself that it was the perfect compromise between his worn-out Converses and his classier shoes. Lastly, he ran a hand a few times through his hair, managing to tame some unruly strands that stuck up. 

He couldn’t help but linger a bit too long in front of the mirror before realizing he really had to go. He slipped his wallet into one of his back pockets and travelled back to the living room where he picked up his phone again to look at the directions. Not long after, he was out the door. The evening breeze met him a few minutes later, instantly showing him that the warmth they had experienced during the day had now completely disappeared. He had the mind to go back up to get a light jacket, but his fear of being late trumped the need for warmth. 

His walk was fast-paced bordering on frantic, so what was supposed to take him ten minutes took him six, leaving him surprised when he found himself standing right in front of the parlor. He took a quick look around to see if Jinki was anywhere in sight, but he didn’t see him. Clearly, he was early, but he did hope the other would arrive soon before his nerves took over completely.

By the time the other finally appeared in his line of vision, he had had the time to envision every possible catastrophe that could occur during their time together. He wanted to be relaxed and enjoy this time, but he felt like he was off to an awful start.

"Am I late?" Jinki asked once he had reached him.

"No, no, I just arrived a little early," Jonghyun reassured before his eyes went on to feast on the sight before him.

The taller one was wearing a marine blue suit that did wonders to his silhouette and his dark bangs covered his forehead this time, giving him a softer, but equally enticing look. But that wasn’t even what had him reeling. It was the fact that the white dress shirt that peaked out underneath wasn’t buttoned all the way up.

He had to wonder if it had been that way all day.

An airy laugh pulled him out of his musings.

"It’s probably not the best outfit to wear to eat ice cream," Jinki noted as their eyes met.

Jonghyun felt his face heat up as he realized he had been caught staring.

"It-it should be fine," he stuttered as he rushed to reply.

 _But I won’t be,_ his mind threw at him immediately.

Jinki laughed softly. "I’ve probably lost a few good suits to food by now. One more won’t make a difference."

Jonghyun silently disagreed. _No, no, this suit needs to stay._

"The trick is to ask for a cup, not a cone," he advised. "It’s less messy."

A slight pout graced the other’s lips, which didn’t fail to make the blonde’s heart flip.

"Cones are more fun though."

Jonghyun acknowledged that with a nod, not trusting himself to speak right this instant.

"Shall we go in?" Jinki prompted with a lopsided smile.

Jonghyun nodded again and a second later, he was following the taller one towards the entrance. As they stepped in, a small bell attached to the door tinkled above their heads, announcing their arrival to whoever owned the shop. For a few seconds, Jonghyun felt blinded by the bright neon lights, reacting to them with a frown and a wrinkling of his nose, but soon enough, the arrival of a middle-aged woman behind the counter brought his focus elsewhere. The woman greeted them with a pleasant smile and a warm welcome, which they immediately reciprocated.

As they walked over to the display cabinet, Jonghyun noticed the only two other people that were in the shop. It wasn’t hard to see that they were a couple. Their eyes were bound in a loving stare and they were holding each other’s hands, the only thing between them being a melting mountain of sundae.

Usually, he would’ve rolled his eyes at such a sight, but this time, he couldn’t. His stomach tightened and he quickly looked away. He didn’t need to look far for a distraction as his eyes fell on a dozen of colorful tubs of ice cream. Jonghyun still didn’t like that the place was so bright, but he could agree that it was probably the best way to make the products look even more appetizing. He knew that, because despite always sticking to his personal favorite, he now found himself staring at the fruit-flavored ice cream and even at the mint-chocolate chip one, which he had always clowned Taemin for loving.

"What are you getting?" Jinki softly inquired as his gaze stayed fixed on the merchandise.

"I usually always go for Rocky Road, but I’m kinda hesitating right now," Jonghyun admitted. "You?"

"I’m in the same predicament as you are. I always go for Vanilla, but damn… everything looks so good."

The blonde’s eyes tore away from the ice-cream to give the other a judging look.

"Vanilla? _Really_?" he expressed with barely contained disdain.

Jinki met his scowl with a confused expression on his face. "Well yeah… I like the classics."

"You can’t use that to justify eating Vanilla ice cream," the younger one threw back.

The brunette chuckled at that. "Seems like this is a pretty serious issue for you."

"I mean come on, Vanilla’s just sad," Jonghyun blurted before his mind could catch up.

"And I think Rocky Road’s pretty unsophisticated, but I’m not going to stop you from enjoying it."

The quick jab stunned the blonde momentarily, leaving his expression stuck between surprise and indignation.

A laugh left the other. "What? You can dish it, but you can’t take it?"

Jonghyun’s eyes grew even wider as a result, taken aback by the quick repartee.

_So you can be cheeky, huh?_

Jinki laughed again. "How about we both choose something different tonight?" he suggested as he looked once more at what was before them.

That effectively snapped the younger one out of his shock. "Mm, sounds good," he agreed.

After a few more minutes of going back and forth between choices, they finally settled and soon after, they were sitting face to face at a table in the back.

"How’s yours?" the taller one asked as he watched Jonghyun have a first taste. 

"It’s pretty good actually," the latter said as he nodded at the soft green scoops in his cup.

"I like Pistachio too," Jinki acknowledged before tasting his own. 

Jonghyun just stared as the brunette licked off a few layers of ice cream. The hum of pleasure that ensued almost took him out.

"Wow, that’s great," the brunette then let out, impressed. "I guess I can alternate between vanilla and raspberry now, huh?"

Jonghyun couldn’t help but laugh which effectively pulled him out of his trance. "Yeah, it’s good to live dangerously once in a while."

"I guess you’ll have to teach me."

For whatever reason, that made him shiver.

"Ah well… I’m pretty tame, actually," he indicated sheepishly.

"Is that so?" Jinki questioned, gazing straight at him.

Jonghyun wasn’t one to shy away from a look, but the power in those dark orbs was too much for him to handle.

"I think so…" he said as he looked down to his cup again.

That made the other laugh. "That doesn’t sound too convincing."

"Well…" Jonghyun pondered. "It really depends on what you consider dangerous."

His eyes flicked upwards to meet the brunette’s eyes again.

The latter smiled an amused smile. "I’m not much of a risk-taker as you might’ve gathered already, so my definition is probably broader than most people."

Jonghyun’s gaze narrowed with interest. "Even so, you must’ve done something risky once in your life."

JInki’s head lolled from side to side as he mulled over the thought. "I wouldn’t say risky. I just had a rebel phase during my teens like everyone else, but it wasn’t anything special. I just stayed out way past curfew a few times and drank my problems away a little too many times."

The blonde gave a satisfied nod. "That counts."

Jinki scrunched up his nose at that. "No need to give me participation points."

That made Jonghyun burst out laughing and he instinctively brought a hand up to cover his mouth.

"I’m not!" he refuted.

The brunette clicked his tongue before diving once again in his now melting raspberry delight. The ice cream was sliding past his cone and onto his fingers, but he didn’t seem to care.

And Jonghyun certainly didn’t mind either.

"That was pretty much how wild my teens were to be honest," he went on, more so to distract himself from the view before him. "Now that I’m in college, I really don’t have time to be messy or anything."

That made Jinki freeze, leaving his ice cream alone for a moment. "Why don’t I believe you?" he then said with a slight frown.

Jonghyun could feel his face heat up, but he tried to ignore it by going for a shrug.

"I don’t know," he just said.

The brunette squinted at him before his lips slowly stretched into a cryptic smile.

Jonghyun waited for him to voice his thought, but he didn’t, instead moving his focus back on his treat. He had to follow suit as his own ice cream was starting to puddle in its container.

It was another few minutes before Jonghyun was faced with an empty cup and Jinki chewed his way to the last bit of his cone. Not many words had been exchanged between them in the meantime, but Jonghyun couldn’t have found it in him to speak. Not when one of Jinki’s legs suddenly moved to brush against his in a manner that couldn’t be chalked up to coincidence. He had dared to glance at the taller one to get further reassurance, but his face hadn’t given anything away. The brunette had just given him one of his radiant smiles that did nothing to help.

And now that they were done eating and Jinki was wiping his fingers clean with a napkin, Jonghyun had to wonder what was going to happen next.

"I’m just going to stop by the washroom real quick, I’ll be right back," Jinki said, cutting through his musings.

Jonghyun just nodded and watched him walk away, not failing to catch how good his ass looked in his form-fitting pants. Once he disappeared, he let out a deep breath he had apparently been holding longer than necessary before he went back to reviewing his options.

He clearly didn’t want this moment to end, but he also didn’t know where they stood right now. Clearly, Jinki was sending him a message, but he wasn’t confident about his interpretation of it. The slightest touch could mean so much more to him than what it really was. If it weren’t anything serious, he would risk it, but the present circumstance just didn’t feel like any other time.

It felt _different_. And Jonghyun didn’t know how to handle it. 

He spent the remainder of his time alone trying to figure out what he could say or what he could do, but he wasn’t able to come up with a clear plan before the other stepped out of the washroom.

His panicked state must’ve read clearly on his face, because the first thing that came out of the taller one’s mouth as he settled before him once more was, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, totally," Jonghyun lied as he tried to play it cool.

Jinki chuckled. "Good, because I’d like to bring you somewhere."

Jonghyun’s brows furrowed at that. "Somewhere?"

"Yeah," the brunette simply said, smiling. "I don’t want to tell you more, but I’d like for you to say yes."

Was Jonghyun the type to follow someone he barely knew to a location he had no information about?

"Yes," he immediately answered, his heart rate picking up simultaneously. 

Apparently, he was.

It wasn’t long before they were back outside, being greeted this time by a pitch-dark sky under which the streetlamps shone with a stark brightness. Their surroundings were pretty much void of any other human life making their walk to the car a peaceful and intimate moment.

Jonghyun was mindlessly walking besides the taller one, deciding that his fate pretty much wasn’t in his hands anymore. He was deliberately taking his hands off the wheel and letting the other take full control. That was something he hadn’t done in a while and the retrieval of that carelessness definitely felt invigorating. But he was doing his best to stay calm and keep his energy under control. Otherwise, he was scared he might blow his chance.

They finally came to a halt after walking down the street for a few minutes, stopping in front of a majestic Rolls-Royce. Jonghyun’s eyes widened at its sheen and pristine look, his mind quickly kicking in to remind him of their difference in status.

His ears caught the other’s laugh, but he was still stunned.

"I made the same face when I first saw it," the brunette shared. "Only to realize with time that it wasn’t that different from any other car."

Jonghyun’s gaze shifted to him, brow cocked. "I’d be really curious to know what you have in mind when you say _any other car_."

Jinki laughed again. "You probably have a point here. Nonetheless, a car is a car."

Following that, he unlocked the doors and made his way to the driver’s side, leaving Jonghyun to settle into the passenger’s seat.

The blonde let himself slide slowly onto the leather seat, every creak of the material under his weight making him hypervigilant of his every movement. 

The brunette’s amused smile let him know that he was probably overdoing it, but he couldn’t help feeling like he was about to fuck something up.

The soft rumble of the car’s engine calmed him a bit as the other’s hands settled on the wheel. It wasn’t long before the vehicle was hitting the road, prompting once again a warning thought in Jonghyun’s mind as to the potential danger that lay in this venture. 

He quickly pushed it away and focused his gaze ahead, looking at the buildings and greenery with a blank interest. The way the surroundings were drawing themselves with each passing intersection felt familiar for the first fifteen minutes of the ride, but soon after, the scenery changed.

There were no more buildings to be seen, leaving in their stead open fields stretching on either side of the road. Jonghyun suddenly felt compelled to ask about their whereabouts, but they hadn’t exchanged a word since the beginning of the ride. Now, the silence was a third party that just couldn’t be thrown out the window.

So Jonghyun held his peace, his hands meeting for a fidgeting dance every few minutes as his sharp teeth gnawed at his bottom lip in a pulsing fashion. He didn’t mean to be nervous or suspicious, but if anything, his survival instinct still had a seat at the table.

It was another ten minutes of the same before they left the fields behind to meet with a viaduct that passed over dark depths of water. Only when they reached the end of it, where concrete met land again, did the car slow down before coming to a stop.

That did nothing to help with the blonde’s nerves, but he chose to stay faithful to silence just a bit longer. The other’s soft breathing reached his ear again as the engine fell asleep. Jonghyun dared give a look his way, immediately meeting his eyes in the process.

The brunette smiled as if it were the most natural thing in the world and that was enough to make his shoulders relax a bit.

"I’m sorry if you were expecting something more glamorous," the other uttered somewhat apologetically.

Jonghyun couldn’t help but snort. "I wasn’t, but you do have some explaining to do."

Jinki laughed at that. "Of course, but let’s step out first."

He followed that up with the retrieval of his car keys and the unbuckling of his seatbelt before opening the door and sliding out of his seat. Jonghyun stayed still for a few seconds, still uneasy, before he finally pushed himself to follow him out, the sound of the car doors slamming shut following each other at a second of interval. 

It wasn’t long before Jinki was before him, a coy smile now dancing on his lips.

"So, " he started, hands settling deep into his pants’ pockets. "What do you think of this place?"

Jonghyun cocked a brow, perplexed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, it’s…"

_Creepy._

"It’s…" he tried again as his eyes took in the scenery once more.

"Spacious."

The brunette chuckled. "You’re nice for not saying what’s on your mind."

Jonghyun blinked at him as a sudden warmth spread across his face.

"I know it’s not quite paradise on earth, but for me, it’s… a peaceful place," Jinki shared as he moved his gaze to the river that rhythmically danced a few meters from them.

His eyes went back to him again before he added, "I just wanted to share that with you."

Jonghyun’s heart flipped inside his chest right on cue, making it possible for him not to bite his lip.

"How often do you come here?" he asked to move the conversation into more comfortable territory.

"Whenever I need to clear my mind," Jinki informed. "Which can be one or a few times per week, to be honest," he added before smiling again.

But Jonghyun could see sadness in his smile and that was enough to make his heart ache.

"How did you find this place?" he instinctively asked.

"I was trying to escape," Jinki admitted as he leaned back against the side of the car.

A deep crease grew between the blonde’s eyebrows. "Escape from what?"

A soft sigh crossed the taller one’s lips. "From my parents."

"Why? What happened?"

"It was a few years ago…" the brunette prefaced as his gaze fell towards the ground. "I went to theirs for what I thought was just a dinner, but it turned out that they had invited this girl over to introduce us…"

Jonghyun didn’t miss the clench that punctuated the other’s jaw as he fell silent. The memory was clearly painful, making him regret he had asked any further questions.

"We don’t have to talk about this, Jinki," he voiced as his eyes settled with worry on his dark expression.

The shift was instant. The other’s face relaxed and he looked back up, a hand reaching behind his neck to rub it as he smiled again, embarrassed.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get all serious like that," he said.

Jonghyun’s chest tightened. He was aching to give him a hug, to bring him some peace, but he wasn’t sure he could just now.

So, he went for the next best option.

"It’s okay," he reassured as he settled right beside him against the car. He immediately became hyperaware of the closeness between them, making it hard to concentrate on anything else.

"Thank you for sharing this with me," he managed to say as his eyes flicked up to reach the other’s.

He was answered with an intent look that menaced to make him burst into a million pieces.

"Can I be honest with you?" the taller one asked as his body shifted to look straight at him.

Jonghyun’s eyes widened as he took in the little space that was left between their faces, but despite his internal meltdown, he found himself able to nod.

"I really like you."

Jonghyun’s body faltered at that, his chest collapsing under a sharp stab that made him whimper against his will.

"Come again?" the older one teased with a cheeky smile.

A bright blush colored his cheeks, making him want to dig himself into a deep hole right that instant.

"That’s not fair," he grumbled with a small pout. "You can’t just spring stuff like that on people."

"So, you would’ve have preferred I hadn’t said anything?" Jinki said, amused.

Jonghyun retaliated with a punch to his arm, making the taller one burst into laughter.

"Yah, this isn’t funny. That should’ve hurt," he fussed, crossing his arms over his chest in protest.

"How can I not laugh when you’re acting this way?" the brunette pointed out.

"Are you making fun of me?" the blonde threw back.

"Not at all, I just think you’re cute," the other swiftly replied.

Another stab. Followed by a shiver. Jonghyun was pretty sure now that he wouldn’t survive this night.

"Yah, you’re pretty smooth for someone who hasn’t been on the dating scene," he observed, frustrated.

"If my honesty comes off that way, I’ll take that as a compliment," Jinki said with a light shrug.

"But I’m starting to get worried you don’t feel the same way, you’ve just been stalling this whole time…" he remarked with a pout of his own.

Apart from being subjected to one of the cutest sights he had ever seen in his life, Jonghyun also had to deal with his own mind and heart racing like there was no tomorrow.

"I really like you too," he said before he wouldn’t be able to anymore.

"Thank god," Jinki let out as he smiled in utter relief. 

Jonghyun frowned. "Are you really surprised? Cause if there’s something I’m not good at it’s being subtle."

The brunette chuckled at that. "I mean, I had my doubts…but it’s always nice to get some type of confirmation."

"I mean it’s really not in my MO to call first," Jonghyun indicated.

That instantly piqued Jinki’s curiosity. "What’s your usual MO then?"

Jonghyun couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at that. "Well, I mean…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I’m usually the casual encounter type of guy."

"Aah," the other acknowledged with a small laugh before saying, "So, I’m probably going too slow for you, huh? "

The blonde’s eyes widened at that. "No, no, not at all," he uttered in panic. "Like I said, it’s not the same, I-"

A gasp left his mouth as warm hands settled on his hips and pulled him closer. His eyelashes quivered slightly as he then felt them move to the small of his back, holding him tightly in place.

By the way Jinki was looking at him, he knew he wasn’t the only one who wanted so much more right now, but he was still wary of not losing himself just yet.

"Can I kiss you?" the brunette asked against him as his lips inched closer to his, their breaths meeting first before anything else could follow.

Jonghyun was left unable to do anything else other than nod, the warmth emanating from the other’s body almost making him dizzy. Jonghyun was used to encountering hot people, but this man right here was a different kind of hot.

And he got even more confirmation of that as the taller one’s lips captured his with an urge that made his heart thump loudly inside his chest and his eyes flutter closed.

He let himself be kissed without restraint, melting under the feeling of the other’s soft lips claiming his before moaning as he felt his tongue find his with an ease that felt almost too good. The sweet tang of the ice cream flavor he got a taste of only added to his hunger. Instinctively, he brought his arms up around the taller one’s neck, pulling him a bit further down to squeeze him closer, to feel him deeper.

Catching the low groan that elicited from him, Jonghyun returned the kiss more fiercely, wanting to see how close to the edge they could push themselves. They kissed without pause until the limit drew itself at the lack of air in their lungs.

Jinki pulled back first, drawing with his retreat a whine of complaint from the blonde.

The latter quickly resolved his need for more by lolling his head a bit to kiss the brunette’s neck, relishing the shiver that accompanied his ministrations.

"Fuck, Jonghyun…" Jinki breathed against him, fingers digging into his hips again as he tried his hardest not to buck his own forward. 

Jonghyun’s lips travelled up to his jaw, giving it a small poignant bite before he pulled back a bit to meet the taller one’s eyes again. The latter’s face was tense, and his eyes had that sheen of desire he was sure could be read in his own.

"Did you also bring me here to fuck, Jinki?" he dared as one of his hands slowly travelled down the other’s covered chest, relishing the softness of the material under his palm.

The brunette’s gaze narrowed just a bit more, focusing on the subtle blush that graced the younger one’s cheeks with a hunger he hadn’t felt in a really long time. If he were to only listen to his dick’s brain, he probably would fuck him right here and then.

And Jonghyun was making it incredibly hard to resist as his hand finally reached his belt and tugged on it with a provocative playfulness.

"So, am I right?"

Jinki’s eyes darted downwards, looking at how close the blonde’s small hand was to his crotch and thinking about how much he wanted it on it. Images of being brought to completion flashed in his mind and he had to bite down hard on his lip not to moan.

Out of precaution for his sanity, he grabbed the other’s hand and moved it away from him.

"Do I look like the kind of guy that would bring you to such a secluded place to fuck?"

Jonghyun shrugged. "I don’t know, you tell me," he said in a tone that had accents of challenge.

"Well, if you must know, my MO’s pretty much the opposite of yours," Jinki informed before chuckling a bit at the frown that drew itself on the smaller one’s pretty features.

"What does that mean?"

Jinki’s laughter died right that moment, unnerving Jonghyun deeply. He didn’t have much time to linger on it though as the brunette’s face came close to his again. Just when he thought he would be granted with the gift of another kiss, the other moved his head slightly, bringing his lips to his ear.

"It means that I like to wait," he whispered before pulling back again.

Jonghyun’s eyes had closed at the sound of his voice, lingering on the undertones of it for a few more seconds before he opened them again. His spine was still tingling from the shiver that had just run through it, leaving him in a heightened state of sensitivity.

He couldn’t help but want to be close to him, to feel more of him, but most of all, he didn’t want to force anything. Despite the way the other had chosen to get his point across, Jonghyun could still feel he was pretty serious about it. Jinki didn’t seem like the type of guy to play around with his words.

"Waiting it is then," Jonghyun acknowledged not without a tinge of disappointment pinching at his heart.

Jinki seemed to pick up on that, because a second later, he was laughing. "Don’t worry, I don’t mean waiting until marriage," he reassured. "I just want to get to know you better first."

Jonghyun felt his heart flutter. "Sure," he simply said as he tried to remain calm.

The brunette smiled softly. "I probably should bring you back home now," he indicated as his gaze travelled around them.

The blonde did the same, only then realizing how dark their surroundings had become.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed.

A few seconds later, they were back in the car, fastening their seatbelts, before Jinki had the engine running again. 

The ride back seemed to pass by a lot quicker even though they fell into the same shared silence as before.

As they crossed into familiar territory again, Jonghyun started bracing himself for the moment when they’d have to say goodbye. His neediness for the other still felt incredibly odd, but he just couldn’t help it.

The thought of asking him to come up to his dorm crossed his mind, but when the car finally stopped in front of his building, he felt stupid for it. He could wait a little more.

"I’m really happy we got to spend the evening together, Jonghyun," Jinki said as he smiled at him once more.

"Me, too," Jonghyun echoed as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thank you for bringing me back home."

"It’s the least I could do after bringing you out to nowhere," the other replied, laughing.

Jonghyun couldn’t help but join in. "I suppose. " He then looked down to his hands, thinking. "Since you showed me something significant for you tonight, maybe next time, I could do the same?" he proposed, a little nervous.

A slight push of the other’s hand under his chin had him looking right into his eyes again.

"I didn’t do that to put pressure on you. We can just go with the flow, really," Jinki said before bringing the same hand up to his cheek to give it a soft caress.

Jonghyun’s eyes closed again, trying to grasp every delineation of his touch. "Okay," he gently uttered under his breath.

Once he let himself meet his eyes again, he couldn’t help but want just a little more.

"Can I get a goodnight kiss?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed.

Jinki nodded before inching closer to him. Jonghyun sighed as their lips met in a soft, slow kiss, his heart rate picking up greatly from the feel of it.

It almost felt like a tragedy when the other pulled back to create a small window of space between them.

"I’ll call you soon, for real this time," Jinki promised before leaving a quick peck on his lips.

Jonghyun nodded in turn and waited for the other to settle back comfortably into his seat before finally making a move to step out.

It was only when he was up and standing on the sidewalk after watching the other drive away that he realized how much he was already addicted to this man. 

And that was definitely a problem.


	3. A big night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, it's been a long time coming, but if you're still invested and enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think :p <3

"When are you going to tell him?"

The question hit the unaware blonde like a ton of bricks. The hand that held his debit card froze mid-way as his head turned back towards his friend. 

"What are you talking about?" he feigned, trying to keep his face under control. 

"Riiight," the brunette scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What in the actual hell am I talking about?"

The other’s derisive tone couldn’t be missed, but Jonghyun let it slide to go back to completing his transaction. 

Once that was over, they walked out of the store, both of them carrying two bags in each hand. 

"You would’ve never bought a pair of pants worth two-hundred dollars before,” his friend bluntly pointed out as their footsteps synced on the sidewalk. 

Jonghyun felt his jaw tense up, but kept looking ahead. "And your point is?"

"My point is that you seem to be enjoying that prostitution money."

That stopped him dead in his tracks. 

"Excuse me?" he hissed, feeling his internal volcano awaken. 

The younger one turned back to face him. "I said what I said."

"Do you have a fucking problem, Kibum?"

"I do, actually," the other fired back. "That’s not you at all, Jonghyun."

The blonde’s sudden surge of anger fell prey to a wave of guilt, leaving him speechless for a moment. 

"The money was just a one-time thing," he simply said before picking up the pace again. 

"I know, but your relationship isn’t," his friend returned as he settled right beside him once more. 

Jonghyun could feel his face burning, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the sun beaming over their heads or from the cocktail of frustration and embarrassment that was forming inside him. 

"We’re not…"

"Don’t say that you’re two aren’t in a relationship," the brunette cut off. "How many dates has it been now?"

 _Five._ "I don’t fucking keep track." 

Kibum clicked his tongue. 

"You’re so ridiculous, I swear.” 

Jonghyun chose silence this time, hoping that would be enough to make the conversation die. But of course, it wasn’t. 

"You’ve never stuck with someone that long before," the younger one went on. "So you’re going to tell me that it’s nothing special?"

Jonghyun took in a sharp breath, suddenly regretting inviting him out. 

"I’m not going to say anything, actually, because it’s none of your fucking business.”

The conversation lulled for a moment as they rushed across the street to make it before the light turned red. 

“Well, whose business is it going to be when the shit hits the fan, huh?" Kibum picked right back up. 

"I don’t know why you’d think that would become your business _if_ anything were to happen," Jonghyun threw back with contempt. 

The other snorted loudly at that. 

"You like to act like a tough bitch, but do I have to remind you in whose arms you usually end up landing when the going gets tough?" 

The blonde glared at him as if the intensity of his gaze could end a life right here and now . 

"And do I have to remind you whose fist can land on your pretty face?"

The younger one rolled his eyes again. "Always threatening with violence, but never actually following-" 

His breath was cut short as he was hit square in the chest with one of the bags the older one was carrying.

"What was that?" Jonghyun asked, smirking, as he watched the younger one bring a hand to his heart with a shocked expression. 

"You know what? I’m not doing this anymore," Kibum settled before quickening his step to move past him. 

The blonde cocked a brow in surprise. When he saw that the brunette wasn’t actually turning back, he followed suit, having to jog to catch up with him. 

"Yah, Kibummie," he hailed as he tried to match his frantic pace. 

No answer. 

"Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re really mad now," the blonde half-taunted, half-inquired. 

Still no answer.

Jonghyun frowned, feeling his frustration grow. He was tempted to just dump him in the middle of the street, but he knew better than to make the situation worse right now. 

"Okay, I’m sorry," he forcefully apologized. 

He was again met with silence, but the look of contempt that was thrown his way at that moment did manage to spark some hope inside him. 

"You know how I get when we talk about that stuff," he tried as his expression grew softer.

That did the trick. 

"That stuff?" Kibum echoed, confused. "You mean _love_?"

Jonghyun’s eyes grew wide at the sound of that word. 

"The hell?" he all but yelled as his heart started thumping against the confines of his chest. "When were we talking about that?"

"I don’t know how many times you’re going to make me roll my eyes at you… it’s really getting tiring," Kibum said, annoyed. 

"It’s one thing to talk about our…" Jonghyun paused, taking a quick inhale in before pushing out the dreaded word. " _"Relationship"_ , but it’s another to talk about love."

"Okay, I can get with that," the younger one accepted. "But can you admit that what’s going on here is not like the other times?"

Jonghyun averted his gaze, concentrating on his feet and keeping a diligent focus on their cadence for a few seconds before nodding in response. 

"Good," Kibum acknowledged, satisfied. "More reason for you to be honest with him if you’re getting serious about this." 

"But what good will that do, huh?" Jonghyun promptly reacted as he looked up again. 

Their eyes met for a second before they both focused their gaze ahead again. 

"Do I really have to paint a picture here?" Kibum said, baffled. "What kind of healthy relationship are you two going to have if you’re already keeping secrets from each other?"

Jonghyun snorted. 

"You’re one to talk…"

The brunette’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. 

"How dare you?" he spat. "That’s not even comparable!"

"Yeah, okay. Whatever," the older one gave up as the onset of a headache began to tug at the corners of his temples. 

"Don’t try to get off topic," Kibum reproved. 

"Yes, Mom," Jonghyun said, derision weighing heavy in his tone. 

"Immaturity isn’t a good look on you, Jjong," the brunette sharply replied. "I can see he’s changing you for the better, so please don’t ruin it."

The blonde’s brow cocked. His curiosity was piqued. 

"What do you mean?"

"You smile more, you’re more outgoing, your energy feels…" Kibum paused, searching for the word. "Lighter," he pinpointed after a few more seconds. 

Jonghyun felt his face burn up once more. 

"Ah, well…"

"I can see you like him," Kibum said. "Like, a lot."

His heart responded with a somersault. 

"Well… if any of what you’re saying is true, I can’t afford ruining things by telling him the truth."

The younger one sighed. 

"Maybe I should be kicking Taemin’s ass for putting you in this mess."

Jonghyun couldn’t help but chuckle.

"The kid means well."

"Yeah? Why does he always have a satanic way of showing it then, huh?"

The blonde shook his head, lips curved into a crooked smile.

"It’s part of his charm, you know?"

Kibum snorted.

"He must suck dick really good for you to be saying that."

There was a brief silence. 

"And then you wonder why I don’t want to share anything personal with you anymore," Jonghyun snarled, glare weighing heavily on his face. 

"Gosh, you really can’t take a joke, can you?" the younger one grumbled in annoyance. 

"If that’s your idea of a joke, then I’m clearly not the one at fault here," the blonde shot right back, effectively silencing his friend for a few seconds as the latter looked back at him, mouth agape. 

"You’re insufferable!" the younger one ended up spouting in anger. 

"But yet, you still hang out with me," Jonghyun casually pointed out. 

"Don’t think I’ll tolerate anything just because it’s you," Kibum warned. 

They slowed down a bit as the bus terminal finally came into view. 

"Are you still coming back to the dorms with me?" Jonghyun asked, somewhat worried now. 

A heavy sigh crossed the other’s bowed lips. 

"You really don’t deserve any more of my time, but tonight’s a big night, so it’d be cruel of me not to help you out."

Kibum could be a pain in the ass a lot of the time, but it was in moments like these, that Jonghyun was reminded why having him as a friend was a true blessing. 

"Thank you," he uttered with sheer gratefulness as they made their way to the bus stop.

They didn’t have to wait long for theirs to arrive and soon enough, they found a comfortable seat at the back, their legs lining up unconsciously against each other’s. The twenty-five-minute drive had them falling into a trance, calming down their overactive minds as they enjoyed a shared silence. 

It almost felt like a crime to get up and move, but they did nonetheless as their stop came about.

Silence stretched out throughout the five-minute walk to the dorms and throughout the additional minutes it took to reach the seventh floor. 

A sigh of relief left them both as they finally entered the blonde’s lair and put their bags down. 

"I need some water," Kibum said, voice slightly hoarse. 

Jonghyun didn’t even bother to answer, knowing the other would just go on ahead to quench his thirst. 

As he heard the faucet turn on, he walked to his room, closing the door behind him as he undressed.

He gave a quick look to his alarm clock as he tugged down his pants. _5:17._

There was a little less than an hour before he would have to be on his way. That was plenty of time in a practical sense, but very little in an emotional one. 

His heart jumped as his mind dragged him down the possible paths this evening could take. It was the first time they were going to be alone and he couldn’t help but feel nervous, a little giddy, but also excited. 

He didn’t want to expect anything, but he was also ready for everything. 

He finally made his way to the bathroom and into the shower, sighing in relief as the hot blast of water drenched his skin. He ran his hands through his hair rhythmically, giving himself a good scalp massage, before bringing his shampoo and body wash into the mix to wash up thoroughly. The small space was soon filled with floral scents that tickled his nostrils and subconsciously brought a lightness to his tight neck and shoulders. 

He took a little more time than usual to clean up if the sudden knock on the door was any indication, but he let himself bask some more in the soothing atmosphere he had just created for himself. 

It was another few minutes before he finally stepped out of the shower and wrapped one of his towels snugly around his waist. Water droplets fell to the floor with his every step while some clung on for dear life as they slid down his skin.

He finally reached his room again, gaze falling upon an obviously annoyed Kibum. 

"You could’ve told me you were going to take a shower," the latter said. 

"I thought that went without saying," Jonghyun replied matter-of-factly. "I can’t show up all sweaty and gross."

At that, the brunette’s face brightened with mischief. 

"So… it _is_ going down tonight," he gathered, a sly smile gracing his lips.

A flash of heat coursed through the blonde’s belly. 

"I… I don’t know…" he uttered as his mind started to drag him elsewhere again.

"This guy must’ve had enough of waiting," Kibum observed. "He’s not a fucking priest, for god’s sake!"

Jonghyun chuckled at that, relieving some of the tension that had found its way into his body just now. 

"That, he isn’t, for sure."

"But seriously, Jjong," Kibum started again. "If you do end up fucking, you at least have to tell me if he’s good."

The older one rolled his eyes, silently imploring whatever gods were out there listening to help him bear with his friend’s stubbornness. 

"Fine," he conceded with a sigh. "Now, can you help me pick out an outfit?"

"Of course," Kibum agreed as he sprung up from the bed to land on his feet. 

His hand reached quickly for the wardrobe’s door, sliding it further open to get a view of what he had to work with. 

Jonghyun could only see the back of his head for the most part, but the rustling sound of clothes being sorted through filled in the gap. He knew it was only a matter of time before an inevitable critique would roll off the other’s tongue. 

"Oh, thank god!" Kibum sighed in victory. He made a snap turn around, holding his hand up to show his discovery. 

The blonde cocked a brow. 

"That’s just a T-shirt." 

His words were rewarded with a scowl. 

"No. That’s not just a T-shirt."

“Okay…?"

A sigh of despair left the brunette as he closed his eyes to muster some patience.

"It’s a white T-shirt!" Kibum tried again. 

Jonghyun was even more at a loss. "Okay?"

At that, his friend’s expression grew even more frustrated. 

"You’re so fucking dumb, I swear," he groaned, dropping onto the mattress again. 

"Okay, let me try to put this simply," he started as he laid the t-shirt right beside him. "Most of your fucking wardrobe is on the baggy side, which, if that’s the kind of look you want to sport, then fine," he interjected with a bite of judgment. "But if you actually want to have some shape and appeal, we need to tighten your shit up."

"Okay… I get it… but why white?" Jonghyun asked. 

He wasn’t against brighter clothes, heck, that was his shirt after all, but he did generally lean towards darker clothing. 

"Seriously?" Kibum deadpanned. 

The silence that followed was the only answer needed.

"I fucking swea-" 

The younger one cut himself off abruptly, realizing it was no use. 

"Because that will actually show off all of that," he all but cried out as he gestured to Jonghyun’s uncovered chest vigorously. 

Jonghyun’s head immediately dropped down, gaze steadying on the planes and dips that stretched out to his towel. 

"I’m not sure I get what you mean…" he half-feigned, half-inquired as he looked back up. 

Kibum rolled his eyes this time.

"Give me a fucking break," he squarely dismissed. "You’ve obviously been hitting the gym more, so why not show off for once?"

Heat rushed up to the blonde’s face at the thought.

"I guess…"

"Seriously, you’d be so lost without me," the brunette asserted before standing up again.

Jonghyun waited to have his back to roll his eyes.

But he was quick to realize that he would’ve indeed struggled so much more if Kibum hadn’t taken charge. Instead of having to go through the pain of second-guessing every one of his styling choices, every decision was made for him in a matter of twenty minutes, even down to the way he should style his hair.

"Forget the gel and leave your bangs down," Kibum immediately said after he finished drying his hair off in front of the mirror. "We still want you to look casual and comfy.”

Jonghyun nodded in approval, always happy to keep things as simple as possible. 

"So what pants did you end up picking?" he asked as he turned back around. 

The younger one huffed at that.

"You’ve seriously not made my job easy with that non-ass of yours."

A frown creased the blonde’s brow as he glared at his friend.

"Smaller asses are valid, too, you know?"

"Oh, I agree," Kibum instantly acknowledged. "But that’s not what we are dealing with here," he added without blinking.

A three-second fantasy of landing a good punch on the other’s face flashed behind Jonghyun’s eyes, but he refrained from acting on it, because he really needed his help. 

"Stop running your mouth and just show me," he said, annoyance spiking his words. 

Sharp slanted eyes shot daggers at him before they moved to the bed. 

"Those tight denims should do the trick," the younger said before throwing the pants at him. 

Jonghyun caught them easily, instantly nodding at the sight of the darker blue shade. He didn’t wear them often anymore, but he could definitely agree that they were probably the best choice for tonight. 

"And it might be kinda chilly outside by the time we step out, so bring this with you, too," Kibum said as he indicated the black leather jacket in his hand.

"Good," the older one approved. "Shoes?"

"Your black Timbs.” 

"Perfect."

Kibum’s lips stretched into a sly smile. 

"Time to get some dick.” 

Jonghyun’s eyes brushed over his friend’s face with a wince of disgust, but somewhere in the middle of his lower belly, there was also a soft pang of approval. 

***

Jonghyun was nervous. 

He hadn’t realized it at first, but the feeling hit him on the road as he got closer and closer to his destination. By the time the car’s engine fell silent, his hands were shaking. 

_Why am I so nervous?_

The question rattled around in his mind as he let his head fall on the steering wheel. The thought fired through every synapse in his brain, but still failed to resolve itself with an answer. 

After mentally running through more of the same, he lifted his head up again, groaning at his stressed out and frustrated state. Realizing it would only worsen if he stayed immobile, he finally made a move to open the door and step out of the car. 

Once the door was locked, he looked up, taking in the tall condominium complex that stretched out before him. If he were being honest, he had expected something with a more grandiose look, but it wasn’t any more different than others he had seen in other neighborhoods. Somewhat though, that managed to calm his nerves a bit.

He finally started walking, momentarily leaving behind any thought that could’ve glued him into place. His pace was brisk, almost as if he were trying to outrun anything that could attack him from behind. He quickly had to stop again to put in the code that the brunette had sent him the day before. He punched in the numbers with one finger and let himself in as the door buzzed.

The elevator was only a few steps ahead and not long after, he stepped inside, pressing the button for the third floor. A quick thought about taking the stairs flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it to focus back on his breath again. A deep inhale graced all corners of his torso before an exhale emptied it out. He repeated the process once more just before the elevator doors opened. 

His feet were now gracing the limestone floor, the sound of his heels clicking against it filling up the silent space. Every step he took was accompanied by a quick glance to each door as he searched for the right one. His venture ended up bringing him to the end of the hallway, right in front of a white door adorned with a shining number 11. 

Jonghyun just stared at it, mind empty, heart going crazy. 

_"There is no turning back now."_

His hand made its way to the doorbell on its own accord, his index finger pushing against it while his mind went blank.

His eardrums caught sound from the inside, but it was all too muffled to get a clear sense of what it was. 

Jonghyun stood there anxiously, silently wishing for this nerve-wracking anticipation to be over with. The sound of the door being unlocked a second later seemed to come as an answer to his prayers, but when it was finally pulled open, another draft of anxiety hit him square in the gut.

"I’m-I’m sorry," he stammered, embarrassed beyond words. "I think I’ve got the wrong place."

He immediately stepped back to make a quick exit, but the man’s next words made him halt just in time. 

"You’re Jonghyun, right?" he asked. 

"Uh… yeah…" the blonde confirmed, confused.

A wide smile spread across the unknown man’s face, making his large eyes narrow and crinkle at the corners. 

_Who’s he?_ Jonghyun thought as his gaze scanned the sight before him. _He’s gorgeous._

The prompted thought only made him even more nervous which translated as a deep frown on his face. 

Before he could investigate what he was dealing with, Jinki finally joined in, pulling the taller man away from the doorframe to stand in his place. A mutter of protest came from the other, but the brunette casually ignored it. 

"Jjong!" he sighed, his breath a little shaken. "I’m sorry about that. I was finishing up in the kitchen and Minho got to the door first and…" 

A hand lifted to the back of his neck as his eyes darted down to the space between them. 

"Things aren’t really going as planned."

Jonghyun wanted to wrap him into a tight hug and let him know that he didn’t care, but a more pressing issue was toying with his mind. 

"Who is Minho?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Jinki had mentioned him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but this was the first time Jonghyun was hearing anything about that man. 

The brunette’s gaze shot up under his bangs and his eyes grew wide with realization. 

"Right… I never actually told you about him, huh?"

Jonghyun shook his head. 

Jinki sighed, more at himself than anything else.

"Come in. I’ll introduce you properly."

He stepped away from the doorframe, leaving an opening for the blonde to pass through. Once the door was locked and Jonghyun had taken off his shoes, he finally ventured into the brunette’s home. There was a subtle burnt smell in the air, but he chose to leave the matter on the back burner and instead give inquisitive looks to his surroundings. 

The apartment was a typical open concept loft, uniting the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room into the same spacious space. The set up was modern in style, the combination of wood and metal surfaces effortlessly complementing the cream-colored walls. Jonghyun wasn’t one to truly pay attention to details of this sort, but he could appreciate how everything seemed to work in unison to give a homey but classy feel to the apartment. He especially appreciated the fluffy white carpet that stretched out before one of the living room’s couches a few meters away. 

"So what do you think?" Jinki inquired as he followed the blonde’s gaze. 

The latter snapped back to attention, a slight shrug of surprise gracing his shoulders. 

"Ah… it’s very nice…" he awkwardly uttered as he let his eyes drag away from the living room and settle back on the brunette. 

It was just then that he noticed his all-black attire, consisting of a tight t-shirt and form-fitting jeans. It was the most casual he had ever since him, but somehow, that made him even sexier. 

"You have a lovely apartment, " he added quickly to avoid selling himself out as a prying pervert. 

A beautiful grin answered his compliment. 

"Thank you," he said. "Although…" His gaze scanned around. "I really had nothing to do with it. Minho chose it and perfected it to what it is now."

Jonghyun’s brow shot up in response, his shoulders tensing. 

"Oh, so he lives here, too?"

"Well, yeah," Jinki replied, not noticing the sudden edge in the other’s tone. 

A clench graced the younger one’s jaw. _Oh, well, that sure reassures me._

"Ah, he’s coming back," Jinki said as footsteps resonated from the hallway to their ears. 

The man in question came into view again, now rocking a striped marine suit that somehow made his legs look even longer. 

Jonghyun couldn’t help but frown at the sight. _Tall bastard._

"Sorry for the disturbance, I’ll be leaving now," the young man informed as he gave them an apologetic smile. 

"Good, but first, let me introduce you properly," the eldest followed up. 

"Aaah, right, right." 

He was quick to close in the distance between them, stopping right in front of Jonghyun. 

"So this is Minho," Jinki started. "He’s my-

"I’m his best friend, roommate and law firm partner," the other swiftly interjected with a liveliness that made Jonghyun want to wince. "Is he a hyung?" Minho then asked, gaze moving to Jinki. 

"No, no," Jinki answered with a chuckle. 

"Aaah okay, I can relax a bit more then," the other noted with an easy smile. "I’ve heard a lot about you, Jonghyun. I’m very happy to finally meet you."

Taken aback by the frank response, the blonde missed the blush that crept up the other’s neck at that exact moment. 

"Ah, um," he started uneasily. "It’s nice to meet you, too," he reciprocated despite his reluctance. 

Cackling in response, the tall brunette said, "That doesn’t sound too convincing."

Jonghyun’s eyes widened, stunned by his lie hitting him back in the face.

"It is, I-"

"Don’t worry," Minho cut in, still laughing. ""I wouldn't be very warm, either, to someone my boyfriend's apparently close to, but that he never mentioned before," he then reassured, not without the double intent of throwing a jab at his friend too.  
  
"Choi Minho," the eldest loudly protested in response, not noticing the bewildered expression that had just settled on the blonde's face. "You're making it sound like I was trying to hide something."

  
As interested as Jonghyun should've been in the course the conversation was taking, everything that followed was lost on him. He could hear their voices, but none of the words reached him. Not after a single one had rendered his senses useless.

  
_Boyfriend._

  
  
The word rung loudly inside his head, replaying again and again in a reckless loop as his heart raced. 

  
He managed to turn his head to give a look to his right, searching for a hint of what he was feeling on the other's face. But all he could see there was the frown that had settled deep between his eyes. Not used to seeing that expression, his newfound curiosity for what was causing it was what managed to make him leap back into reality.

There was a brief silence and suddenly the giant's eyes were on him, twinkling with mischief.  
  
"He's really cute after all," the latter said as his eyes travelled along his body.  
  
Jonghyun's reaction was innate, lips parting to give the other a piece of his mind.  
  
But he wasn't quick enough.  
  
"I wouldn't be worried in a million years. Trust me," Jinki all but snarled.

That was enough for Jonghyun to lose all bite. Instead, his teeth sank into his bottom lip. _Shit. He is being hot again._

The tallest smirked.

"As spicy as that would've been, you know I would never."  
  
He then looked straight at Jonghyun, a pleased smile still dancing on his lips.  
  
"I'm glad Jinki finally stopped acting like a little virgin. I have to thank you for that."  
  
"Can you just shut up and go now?" Jinki burst out as his skin flared up again.  
  
 _Yup. My sentiments exactly_ , Jonghyun silently seconded, his impatience growing by the second.  
  
"You were the one who wanted us to get acquainted," the younger one retaliated, eyes almost popping out of their sockets.  
  
"Well I think Jjong has a good idea of who you are now," Jinki indicated.  
  
 _Yup. An unnecessarily tall and annoying prick_ , the blonde kept on in the secrecy of his mind.  
  
"If you say so," Minho dismissively acknowledged. He didn't waste a beat of silence to continue on.  
  
"So, how do I look?"  
  
The smug smile that followed did nothing to help his case in the blonde's mind.

"Good, as always," Jinki replied, a lace of exasperation tugging at his words.  
  
"Thaaaank yooouu," his friend voiced excitedly. "You know tonight's a big night," he added with a wink.  
  
"Aren't you just seeing Yejin?"  
  
"Meeting her parents tonight actually," his friend filled in as he tugged on the front of his suit to straighten it out more than it already was.  
  
"Not worried though," he instantly added.  
  
 _Suuuuure_ , Jonghyun derided. It was a miracle he managed not to roll his eyes.  
  
Jinki was more patient, obviously. 

"No?" he questioned, doubt raising his voice.  
  
"Nah," Minho assured. "She told them I was a lawyer and they apparently screamed from joy." A grin stretched out wide on his face. "So imagine when they see how handsome I am, too."  
  
If there had been a camera in the room, Jonghyun would've surely stared into it to display his sheer annoyance at the other's inflated ego.  
  
"Riiight," Jinki said, seemingly as annoyed as he was.  
  
It didn't go unnoticed by the tall brunette. "Okay, enough about me," he settled. "I'll leave you lovebirds alone now."  
  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys before giving a lazy wave their way.  
  
Before he could exit through the front door, Jinki spoke up again.  
  
"You're spending the night at Yejin's, right?"  
  
Minho turned back around, meeting the question with a sly smile.  
  
"Of course."  
  
Jonghyun's heart jumped as his eyes grew a little wider.  
  
 _Calm down, calm down_.  
  
"Good," Jinki voiced in satisfaction.  
  
 _Oh. Fuck, fuck, fuck._  
  
"Have fun," Minho said with a wink before finally leaving.  
  
The clicking sound of the door closing sealed those words dramatically, making them suddenly aware that they were very alone.  
  
Jinki made a move first, turning his body towards him so he could look at Jonghyun properly.  
  
"I need to apologize," he prefaced, expression guilt-stricken.  
  
"Ah, it's fine," Jonghyun quickly dismissed. "We all have annoying friends."  
  
Jinki's brows rose, mouth agape.  
  
"That's not what I was talking about..."  
  
The blonde froze as the words struck him like a bucket of cold water being thrown in his face.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't-"  
  
The other's laugh cut him short. 

"Don't worry," he reassured. "I know he can be a lot sometimes, but he has a good heart."  
  
At that, a frown creased his brow making the brunette laugh even harder.  
  
"I swear," the latter defended despite it. "If you want, I can tell you about how he actually saved my ass in a big case."  
  
Jonghyun snorted. 

"Does it involve him sleeping with someone?"  
  
Jinki blinked. 

"How did you know?"  
  
The blonde shrugged. 

"He strikes me as the type."  
  
"He really didn't make a good impression on you, huh?"  
  
 _No._  
  
"I mean... If he's your best friend and you live with him, too, I bet he has redeeming qualities," Jonghyun conceded despite himself.  
  
"You are the worst at hiding your emotions," Jinki snickered. "But I'm glad, actually", he went on more seriously. "Minho can be quite the charmer and maybe a small part of me was scared he'd charm you."  
  
The admission came with a sheepish smile, sending Jonghyun's heart into a furious race again.  
  
"He's not my type," he said without hesitation.  
  
"What is your type?" Jinki asked in a cheeky tone.  
  
 _You.  
_  
"Aah, you know... Guys that..." His eyes shifted as if an answer was floating around. "Um…"  
  
"Guys that get so nervous about a dinner at home that they burn the meal?" the other chimed in, giving an embarrassed smile. 

Jonghyun’s gaze settled back on the brunette, wide with confusion. 

"What?"

"I really hope that type of guy is your type," Jinki continued. "Or else… I’m screwed."

A nervous laugh followed and Jonghyun’s heart fluttered. 

"Don’t worry," he said. "I think that kind of guy is cute."

There was a lull of silence, during which Jinki turned redder than he had before, making the blonde melt and simultaneously cringe at his own corniness. 

"So, um," the brunette cleared his throat. "I was thinking we could order some food instead." 

"Yeah, sure."

"What would you like?"

"I really don’t mind."

"I really don’t mind, either."

"So how the heck are we going to solve this, huh?"

"Hmmm, what haven’t we had yet?"

They both pondered on the matter, reviewing all their previous dates. Apart from the fancy restaurant that had brought them together the first time, they had kept it pretty casual, eating at different local restaurants whenever they felt hungry. Jonghyun wasn’t much of a foodie to begin with, but Jinki was on the other end, so he usually followed in whatever craving the older one had in the moment. 

"What were you cooking earlier?" he thought to ask. 

"I was trying out a Coconut Shrimp Curry recipe."

"Mm, that sounds good. Why don’t we order that?"

"Yeah," the other agreed. "And we can pretend I actually made it while we eat it, too."

Jonghyun smiled at his silliness. 

"Sure."

"Okay, I’ll go find my phone so we can check out places," Jinki indicated, already turning to move. 

But before he could take a step, he was halted by a firm grip on his wrist. 

"Wait," the blonde said as he turned him back around. 

He stepped closer, slow and measured, his almond shaped eyes flicking upwards once there was nearly no more space between them. 

The other’s Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gazed into those criminally pretty eyes, waiting. 

"You haven’t kissed me yet," Jonghyun finally said, tone expectant. 

A breathy laugh met his skin.

"You’re forever impatient."

"That’s been established already. So, don’t make me wait any longer."

_You’ve made me fucking needy, you bastard._

Jonghyun was expecting to be left hanging, just to get him frustrated to no end, but before he could prepare any argument in retaliation, the other’s soft lips caught his breath, melding their bodies together. A sigh of contentment left him; it was like everything was right in the world again. 

Jinki held him, arms hugging his waist under his jacket as they shared a soft and sweet kiss. Despite his eagerness, Jonghyun didn’t push for more, knowing well that everything he wanted would come in time. 

"Happy?" Jinki asked as he pulled away, eyes lingering on the lips he had just made pinker. 

"Mmhm," Jonghyun hummed, chest heaving slightly. "For now, yeah."

That made the other laugh again before he stepped back.

"Well, let me get my phone before we actually get to dessert."

He disappeared, leaving a baffled Jonghyun to wrap his mind around what he had just said. Knowing the man a little better now, he knew how purposefully confusing he could get. There could literally be a real dessert waiting ahead without any real prospect of something more. But fortunately, he hadn’t forgotten the exchange that had happened between him and his friend earlier.

_He wanted to make sure we would be alone for the night._

That thought alone was enough to make him hot all over again, prompting him to take off his jacket. He walked to the hanger near the entrance and hung it on there before returning to his spot in front of the kitchen island. 

Jinki came back almost simultaneously, gaze fixed on his screen. 

"Hmm… I’m not sure we’ll find what we are looking for…" He lifted his head up. "Maybe we should-"

The pause was abrupt, weird even. But the brunette’s gaze gave it all away as it settled on the other’s chest before traveling further down. It wasn’t the first time Jonghyun was at the receiving end of the taller one’s hungry eyes, but it never failed to make him feel like a blushing schoolgirl. 

"Maybe we should what?" Jonghyun reminded with a thin voice as he tried to distract himself from his own desire. 

Jinki’s eyes shot back up to his face, confused. 

"Eh?"

The blonde cleared his throat.

"You were talking about the food…"

"Oooh, right," the older one said, face lighting up with realization before he looked at his phone again. "Um… so yeah, it seems like no restaurant near here makes that type of food, so it would take an eternity before it arrives here."

"Aaaw, that’s too bad," Jonghyun expressed with disappointment even though in truth, the matter left him highly indifferent. 

"So what do you want to do?" Jinki asked, a slight pout curling his lips. 

That on the other hand, didn’t leave him indifferent. 

"Hmm, how about pizza?" he proposed as he thought of the last time he had ordered in. 

"Yeah, pizza’s good," Jinki agreed. "I haven’t had that in ages actually," he realized upon further thought. 

"That’s perfect then," the younger one settled with a soft smile. "I’m bringing you back to basics."

"Definitely," the other chuckled. "You better not judge my choice of toppings though."

"As long as it’s not Hawaiian, you’re good."

Silence followed. 

"Oh come on, really?" Jonghyun exclaimed in disbelief. 

"What if it is?" 

The blonde crossed his arms resolutely.

"Well, I’ll judge you for sure."

"That’s it?" Jinki taunted, amused. 

"Well, yeah, that’s it," Jonghyun threw back, annoyed. "I’m not going to leave or something. That would be dumb."

The other’s amusement morphed into a full-blown laugh.

"Thank god you’re not _that_ dramatic."

The blonde frowned.

"Is that sarcasm?"

"No, sweetheart. Of course not," Jinki kept on, giving him a sweet smile that made his words ring even more insincere.

"You know that I hate you, right?" Jonghyun threw right back at him. 

"I can live with that," the older one brushed off as he redirected his attention to his phone once more. "Plus, I hate Hawaiian pizza."

“Oh, thank the fucking lord," the blonde sighed out, relieved. 

Jinki shook his head at that. 

"You are truly something else."

"I just have good taste, that’s it," Jonghyun shrugged off. "So what are you ordering?"

"That Meat Lover’s one sounds good."

"And that’s when I remember whose cousin you are."

The older one laughed. 

"We gotta have some things in common."

"That’s really all I hope you two have in common," the blonde scoffed. 

"Are you really friends with Taemin?" the other taunted in reply. 

"Depends on my mood, really."

That was met with more laughter, but Jonghyun hadn’t really meant it as a joke. He did love his friends, but he also truly hated them sometimes. 

"So, what kind of pizza do you want?" Jinki asked. 

"All-dressed is fine."

"I thought you would’ve preferred Bare-Naked…"

Jonghyun frowned, confused, but caught up soon enough when he recognized the pleased smile the other was sporting. 

"Your jokes are just getting worse and worse," he voiced, scrunching up his nose in disapproval. 

"Oh, and I thought you said you had good taste," Jinki struck back before the same smile stretched even wider on his face. 

"Fuck you."

"Wow. Best comeback ever."

The reaction was immediate. Anger flared bright and hot inside the younger one as his jaw tightened and his hands balled up into fists. He was ready to go off the rails and rage, but before any words could come out of his mouth, the adult in him spoke up. 

_Let it go._

The voice was firm and resolute, decided to not let his weakness overcome him. 

If it were anyone else, he wouldn’t think twice and would freely let himself throw a tantrum, but he had enough conscience to not want to self-sabotage in this moment. 

"Whatever," he grumbled instead, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Ah, please don’t be mad at me," Jinki implored as he caught his surly demeanour. "I’ll make my bad jokes worth your while, I promise," he added with a smile that could redeem a million sins and that instantly made the other’s heart somersault. 

“You'd better," the latter grumbled between his teeth before the brunette went on to call the pizza place and put in their order. 

"They said it’ll be here in twenty minutes," Jinki informed as he hung up. 

"Good," Jonghyun answered absent-mindedly. 

His attention had already been caught by something else in the time their conversation had lapsed. 

"Is that a piano book?" he asked as he pointed to the living’s room center table. 

Jinki’s brows shot up with surprise before his eyes followed a few meters ahead. 

"Oh, I forgot to put that away," he realized with some embarrassment. 

"So you’re learning to play piano?" Jonghyun pursued with inquiring eyes that bore into the taller one’s profile. 

"Yeah…" Jinki revealed, the scrutiny making him uncomfortable. 

"Since when? How? Where?" Jonghyun went on eagerly, obviously unaware. 

"Um… Just started a few months ago…" Jinki cleared his throat. "I take a class every Sunday and practice with a keyboard at home whenever I have time."

The blonde’s brows formed a tight frown over his bewildered eyes.

"Why am I learning this just now?"

"Didn’t really think you’d be interested…"

The muttered answer didn’t go unheard. 

"Not interested?" the younger one exclaimed a little louder than intended. "You know I study in a Music program, right?" he tried to say in a calmer tone despite his growing frustration. 

"Yeah, I know…" Jinki sighed, making the blonde’s brow cock upward. 

"So what gives?"

"Nothing," the older one quickly answered. "I didn’t think it was anything important, it’s just a little hobby I picked up again."

"Again?" Jonghyun immediately caught. "So you played before?"

"Yeah…"

"You’re into music!" 

Exclamation points were flashing in the blonde’s eyes, that piece of information alone firing up all his synapses. 

"This is one of the first things I should’ve known about you!" he reproached despite himself. 

"Like I said, it’s not that important in my life that I felt it was worthy of mentioning," Jinki reiterated, a bite of annoyance marking his words. 

"Not important, but the book is on display in your living room?" the blonde challenged, unwilling to let it go. 

"I just forgot it there."

"Well I’m glad you did, because from what I’m understanding you had no intention of letting me know about this," Jonghyun threw back, feeling more and more cheated. 

"That’s got nothing to do with us," Jinki said, trying to keep his tone even. 

Any kind of restraint the other was trying to keep over himself flew out right there and then. 

"Are you serious right now? How is something we have in common not relevant?" he went off, voice not far from a shout. 

"Jjong," Jinki warned. "Drop it."

"Or what?" he scoffed. "It’s not like you’re going to kick me out or something."

Despite his best efforts to keep a neutral expression, that was the brunette’s final straw. Hard eyes looked straight at the younger one. 

"Don’t think I can’t."

Jonghyun’s frown deepened, jaw clenching with tension.

"You gotta be kidding." 

That clearly wasn’t the best thing to say. 

"Not this time." 

The brunette’s tone was sharp, unarguable even.

If Jonghyun didn’t know any better he’d think it wasn’t the same man before him. This man he was looking at was almost scary. 

"Really?" 

His own tone faltered under the weight of the other’s gaze, sounding almost meek. This wasn’t at all how he wanted the night to end. 

There was a pause, a quiet exchange through their locked gazes. Despite it, Jonghyun couldn’t for the life of him guess what the other would say, but he was praying with all his might that he hadn’t screwed up this whole evening. 

Just as the guessing game was getting the best of his nerves, a sigh broke through the dense silence. 

"I don’t want to kick you out, Jonghyun,” was the first thing the brunette said as his whole demeanour softened.

 _Thank god._ Jonghyun’s shoulders relaxed.

"You fucking scared me for a sec."

"Did I?" Jinki questioned, surprised. 

"Of course!" The blonde gave him an astounded look. "You look fucking scary when you’re mad!"

Jinki chuckled.

"Oh, well," His mouth stretched into a pleased smile. "I guess that’ll teach you."

The blonde’s lips parted, but no words came out. _Who the fuck are you?_

"Look." Jinki stepped closer to him, his expression having regained some seriousness. "I’m sorry I reacted that way." 

Jonghyun jumped slightly as a warm hand cupped the side of his face. It wasn’t long before he was melting under the gentle caress.

"No, I’m the one who’s sorry."

"Sorry for?" the older one teased with a soft smile which made the blonde scrunch up his nose in annoyance. 

"Sorry for pushing it," he said, disgruntled. "But you can’t blame me for getting passionate about you playing an instrument," he quickly followed up, arms crossing one over the other. 

The other’s hand dropped down.

"You know that any kind of justification following an apology makes it sound fake, right?" 

The playful jab drew out a scowl on the smaller one’s face. 

"So be it, I’m not taking that back."

Before the brunette could retaliate, he plunged forward, planting a kiss on his slightly parted lips. A barely audible sigh met the gesture before their lips locked fully, bringing a heightened sense of warmth to reverberate through their bodies. 

Jonghyun was not going to play nice this time. His tongue spoke for him as it swiped across the taller one’s lips, asserting its will. Being shown no resistance, he let it slip in with ease, claiming the mouth he had become so addicted to. Desperation and pleasure coiled inside his stomach as the brunette fought back with more passion, pressing their bodies together with a firm pull around his lithe waist. 

The blonde whined against him before one of his hands shot up to the back of his neck while the other gripped on the front of his black shirt. A groan answered the gestures, vibrating low and sensual through the kiss. Clearly, he had struck the right chord, because a moment later, the hands around his waist moved further back. 

A gasp escaped him, his eyes shooting wide open as the brunette’s hands squeeze his ass hard. Their gazes locked as the other checked for a reaction, a self-satisfied smirk breaking their lips apart for a second before he dove back in for seconds. 

Jonghyun moaned again, holding on even tighter to the taller one’s shirt. He was clearly losing the power he had first asserted. But he didn’t mind it. He wanted Jinki to show himself impatient; to show him how much he wanted this, too. 

And impatient he was. Before Jonghyun could get accustomed to the feeling of having his ass cupped by resolute hands, he was suddenly submitted to the delicious pain of having a crotch fully pressing against his own. By the way Jinki was pushing against him, he knew this was no accident. He was finally showing his hunger and the blonde was beyond delighted. 

"Jjong…" Jinki breathed out, barely pulling back. His mind blanked as the other’s tongue poked out to lick at his bottom lip, pupils blown out wide. "I…"

The aborted statement emboldened the smaller one, the grip he had on his shirt finally letting up as he slowly slid his hand down his covered chest, not missing the shiver and the clench it provoked on its way down south.

He tugged on the taller one’s belt, eliciting in him a poignant sense of déjà-vu. Their eyes locked again, making Jonghyun’s heart race from the implications he could read in the dark depths facing him. 

Gaze unwavering, his hand went to work, sliding the belt’s tongue out of its metal buckle with a ringing sound that cut through the heavy atmosphere around them. 

Watching the taller one’s Adam’s apple respond with a slow bob up and down his throat, gave him the last push he needed not to hold back anymore. He dropped to his knees unceremoniously, not minding the dull pain of landing on a hard surface. 

There were more important matters at hand and Jonghyun was going to make sure to give his full attention to them. The first being to close the gap between his first fantasy and reality. His eyes focused on what was before him, the thought of what he was about to uncover being enough to make him lick his lips again. 

Maybe he should have been questioning the fact that he felt hungrier for dick than actual food, but that was going to have to wait for another time. 

Without hesitation, his index finger and thumb pinched at his zipper and unfastened it, letting the curve of a bulge peek out from behind another layer of fabric. Jonghyun was impatient for sure, but he also liked to tease a bit. His hands tugged at the edges of the other’s jeans, sliding them down until they collapsed to the floor on their own. 

Meanwhile, his mouth moved forward on its accord, going straight for what it wanted. A hissing sound and a grip on his hair graced his senses as he took a light bite at the clothed erection that was already swelling up before him. 

He gave another bite, this time harder, and the hiss turned into a curse. Jonghyun smiled, pleased at the power given to him after such a long time. But he wasn’t without being bothered himself, feeling his own pants tighten. Want was coursing through his body making it tense and heated and focused only on making it reach its apex. 

Conscious again of the hand buried in hair, he looked up to see the upstairs result of his ministrations. The sight made his heart skip a beat. The man hovering over him had an expression of troubled lust, brows kneading tightly as his mouth hung slightly open. 

He had seen that face before, but he didn’t want a repeat of previous times. Jonghyun knew what he wanted to see this time. Looking back in front of him, he started kissing at his clothed erection, mouth and tongue traveling along it with languid strokes. He only stopped when he felt a harder pull on his hair, the dull pain making him moan. 

"Jjong…" The brunette halted, voice shaken by a quiver. "Wait, please…the pizza…"

The blonde’s brow arched up in disbelief. 

"You’re fucking kidding me," he spat out. "I’m about to suck your dick and you’re thinking about pizza?!"

"It's not that," the brunette quickly defended. "But the delivery guy's com-"

His brain short-circuited as he was suddenly bared of his underwear, leaving him hard and exposed. He didn't dare look down, an acute sense of discomfort seeping through the excitement that was spreading throughout his body.

"You're fucking kidding me," the blonde repeated, sounding breathless.

A beat of silence followed before his mind spoke on its own.

"You're fucking huge," he said louder this time.

He was too focused on the monumental piece of hard dick before him to notice the blush that had spread across the other's face.

"Fuck..." he let out, mesmerized. ''Your hotness just keeps on giving, huh?"

Before the brunette could offer any input, lips suddenly took him in, giving a tentative suck to the crown of his dick already salivating with pre-cum.

His hips bucked, instinctively pushing more of himself into the tight warmth offered to him. The gesture was welcomed with a moan that vibrated through him and made him weak in the knees.

A resumed grip on the other's hair steadied him enough to withstand the subsequent assault. As he felt the base of his dick being squeezed by a firm hold, the blonde pulled back only to leave wet strips on the underside of his cock with an obviously experienced tongue, making him whimper at the bottom of his throat.

"Jjong..." he breathed, lids fluttering over his eyes.

The blonde's answer was sucking at his balls, giving them each their moment of glory inside his mouth before he moved back to the main course.

This time, he didn't test the waters. No, this time, he instantly took the dive, plunging the erection he had been sizing up deeper into his mouth.

Any restraint the brunette had tried to keep over his voice collapsed as the sensation sent a loud moan flying out through his parted lips.

"Fuck..." he cursed out as he finally looked down, hand softening a bit in the other's fluffy hair.

The blonde was covering him almost completely, cheeks hollowed out to accommodate more of him inside. The sight almost made him cum, the familiar pang in his lower belly hitting him deep.

"Jjo-"

His throat tightened around a groan as the one he had meant to warn began moving up and down his length, bobbing his head in a slow but steady rhythm.

A satisfied hum graced the motion, breaking the suction sounds that were filling the room. It wasn't long before Jonghyun picked up the pace, finding a perverse kick in almost choking every time he deep throated the other.

His pants became unbearably tight, but he didn't tend to it. He could probably get off just by sucking him off.

"Shit..." 

The curse above came with a rougher tug on his scalp.

"Jjong, I'm-"

But words came a little too late. A forward thrust in brought him deep inside the other's mouth again, letting it all go with a grunt.

"Ugh."

Suddenly, warm and thick cum was shooting at the back of the blonde's throat, making him wheeze, but he stayed put, welcoming it with all the greed that had built up inside him throughout these past weeks.

And from the load he was drinking in, he could tell the build-up was reciprocal. Jinki was just giving him a taste of it right now, leaving him wanting more.

As the brunette slowly pulled back, releasing his spent dick from his mouth with a wet pop, Jonghyun's gaze shot back up to him like an expectant dog looking at its master.

Jinki met his gaze with a mix of fondness and embarrassment, simultaneously flattening his hand over his bright shock of hair to gently comb through it.

"Sorry..." he quietly said.

Jonghyun almost swooned under his touch, but the apology instantly pulled out a reaction from him.

"What are you even apologizing for?" he retorted, annoyed.

The brunette looked away, averting further scrutiny. 

"I don't know, just..."

They were pulled out of their bubble by the sudden buzzing sound at the door, reminding them of the world that existed outside of them.

"Oh shit, the pizza," Jinki shouted out in panic.

Quickly rushing to get fully clothed again, he then ran to answer through the intercom at the door, leaving an even more annoyed Jonghyun to frown at the interruption.

"Tell me we are not really going to stop to eat pizza now," he verified as Jinki walked back up to him.

Confusion spread across the taller one's features.

"Well I already buzzed him in..."

Jonghyun rolled his eyes.

"I know," he huffed. "But that doesn't mean we need to eat it now."

"But then it'll get cold..."

"Are you fucking serious?"

An apologetic smile crept up the other's face, frustrating him even more.

"I'm afraid I am," he said, before holding out his hand for the other to take.

Jonghyun was tempted to ignore it, but finally grabbed it and let himself be helped up to his feet.

As soon as they were at eye level again, Jinki kissed him, soft and easy, tasting himself off his pliant mouth.

Pulling back just an inch, he said, " We've got all night to ourselves."

Jonghyun shivered, the words settling his impatience just a bit.

"Also," Jinki added. "If I don't eat before, my old bones won't be able to keep up with your youthful vigor."

His words were met with a distinct eye roll that made an honest laugh rumble out of his chest.

The doorbell ringing broke them apart and Jonghyun used that opportunity to take a trip to the bathroom. He ventured into the hallway in search of it, but before he could get there, he couldn't help but peak into a gaping door, the outline of a bed catching his attention.

He pushed it further open as his nose took note of the whiff of savory flavor coming a few meters away.

Even if he couldn't have been sure of whose room it was, what he found on the bed gave him the answer. From head to foot, the whole mattress was covered in white peonies. His eyes widened and mouth fell wide open as his heart thumped loudly inside his chest.

He was so stunned that he failed to hear the footsteps that were getting closer. It was only when a hand settled on his shoulder that he got abruptly pulled out of his trance, jumping in surprise.

Darker eyes met lighter ones as the blonde turned back slightly.

"I decidedly can't do anything right tonight," Jinki uttered, somewhat dejected. "I should've known to keep my door shut."

Jonghyun was immediately punched in the gut with guilt. 

"No, no, it's my fault," he immediately countered." I shouldn't have been snooping around, I just wanted to go to the bathroom..."

"It’s alright, really," Jinki halted before looking back at the bed. "So, what do you think?"

Jonghyun followed his line of sight, once again taking in the angelic sight the petals formed on the bed. He had seen such gestures being made in movies and had always thought they were over the top and cheesy, but to actually have someone do that for him...

And they weren't anything generic like roses, they were actually his favorite flowers.

"I... It's... It's..." He swallowed, feeling his throat tighten. "It's perfect."

The words fell out of his mouth with an unfamiliar quiver, prompting him to clear it out with a cough.

"I'm glad you think so," Jinki welcomed with a huge grin. "I remembered you mentioning these were your favorites when we were walking through the national park."

Jonghyun blinked at him, surprised.

"Wasn't that like weeks ago??"

The brunette laughed.

"I know I'm old, but I have a good memory."

The younger one's mind blanked again at that, dumbfounded by the gesture.

"Are you okay?" Jinki couldn't help but ask with a chuckle after a whole minute of silence stretched between them.

"Yeah..." Jonghyun breathed out. "It's just..."

He inhaled deeply before looking straight into his eyes again. 

"Why would you do something like that for me?"

Taken aback, the taller one answered on the spot.

"Why wouldn't I?"

When he saw the unchanged expression of confusion and astonishment on the blonde's face, he went on. 

"I thought I had made it clear that I really like you."

Jonghyun's eyes darted away, embarrassed.

"But..."

"No but," Jinki interjected. "I know that's not what you're used to, but I want you to know how much you mean to me."

The confession made his heart somersault. He felt an overwhelming warmth spread through him and suddenly, it all felt too much.

"Jinki..." he started faintly. "I don't deserve this."

As he watched a deep frown crease the other's thick brows, he went on.

"You've been so sweet and attentive, and I've just been..."

_An asshole._

_A liar._

"I've just been..." 

He wanted to say the words, but they felt stuck.

"You've been just perfect," Jinki filled in, giving him a loving look that only made him feel worse. "I don't know where this is coming from, but-"

"I've been lying to you," he blurted out as a window of imminence opened wide before him.

The other's gaze widened before narrowing under another frown. "What..."

Jonghyun's heart flipped, stomach coiling with anxiety.

"There is something I need to tell you.”


End file.
